The End

So here we are with 3 days left in 2007. Christmas is over and done with for another year. And now we move on to a celebration I usually dread but not this year. Never in my whole life have I been so happy to see a new year come. 2007 was a LONG 12 months that for the most part I never want to relive. It had some good points: Lexie's first day of Kindergarten, Meeting all my scrapbooking girls, Getting in the army and getting my first choice, Todd being happy with his job after being miserable for two years, my awesome new friends from work that remind me that yes I am only 26 not 46, Getting better after my car accident (push ups anyone?) Weddings and new babies, and finally feeling settled in Ottawa although it will never feel like home. The few other things that were good about the year I will hold onto in my heart forever and just like my engagement story they will never be shared. Now If I could just erase the rest of the crap I could call the year amazing lol.
2008 promises to be full of adventure and new experiences for both Todd and I. I wonder daily how he will fair as a single Dad while I am away. I tell him all the time he will be fine and that payback is a bitch! All I ask is he feeds them half decently and makes sure they don't go out looking like little ragamuffins and everything will be fine. The rest of it is all small stuff and it will fall into place eventually. I am so excited to begin this new chapter in my life. I have been working hard to get ready to go. I am finally doing something for myself and it feels so good! My heart breaks at the thought of leaving my girls for so long but I am so thankful that they have a great dad to take care of them. And my mom will be coming to visit regularly! So bring on 2008! I wish you all a safe and happy 2008. Bonne Annee!
Sending Love and Laughter from Ottawa.
~Jen~

Christmas 2007

The Great Cat-tastrophe

The tree went up....the tree came down. Damn cat. I woke up to screaming the first morning it was up..."Mommy, Oscar is in the tree and he can't get out!". Not only was he in the tree but he was on the top branch sitting there like he owned the place. After a few days of fighting to keep him out of it I had enough. At first I was worried he would get all hung up in the lights and strangle himself and then I was wishing he would. I must have put that tree back together about 6 times! So I went out and bought a little 4 footer and set it up on an end table. We decorated it and put presents all around the base so now it's Oscar proof. Now if I can only keep him out of the bathtub.......

I hope your all enjoying your cat free trees!
Take care,
~Jen~
xoxoxoxo

"O Christmas Tree"

I love Christmas. Everything about it makes me happy. The tree, the music, the lights, my kids excitement and the fight Todd and I get into every year about when to put up the tree. I have been begging the man for days to put it up to no avail so today after parent teacher interviews I am going to drag up the box and put the sucker up myself :P. This is a hard Christmas for us. It's our first year in many away from the crazy Blanchette Christmas celebration and we are really going to miss it. It will be nice to spend it with my mom though. It will be the first time for me to wake up on Christmas morning and open gifts with her since I left home. And how cute are the three little girls going to be! There will be lots of pictures!

So if you haven't heard the good news by now I'll share it again. My military application came through and I am swearing in December 18th! Then off to BMQ at "the Mega" in St-Jean on January 13th. My course Starts January 14th and I graduate April 18th ( I hope!) I am excited and freaking out at the same time. After basic it's SQ and then I go on my trades training for 6 months. Most of it is in Borden so I hope to be able to come home some weekends.

Well thats all for now. I'll try and post some pics when I get the tree up.
Merry Christmas!
~Jen~
xoxoxox

Save The Drama For Your Mama

I was so happy when I found out Alexis would be going to afternoon Kindergarten. It would give us the mornings to relax and take our time getting ready right? Wrong. It just gives us more time to battle about what they are going to wear, what to pack for snack, who gets what hair style and a million other things. Honestly by the time 12:45 rolls around I'm exhausted! They never pull this crap with their dad, they save the drama for their mama. Thank god there is a Timmies down the road or I would never make it through the day! Bless their little cotton socks.

Hope your all enjoying the snow. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas". Next weekend the tree goes up, I can't wait. Off to get a few things done before I pick up the head drama queen from school.

Take care,
~Jen~
xoxoxxo

Snow!

That is the view from my front porch this morning. Todd woke me up before he left for work to tell me it had snowed. I went back to sleep with a smile on my face only to wake an hour later to Alexis yelling "Mom! Kennedy! It snowed and it's awesome!" So off to Wal-Mart we go to get Lexie some winter boots. Thank goodness her snowsuit from last year still fits her (at least for now). Time for me to retire my Crocs maybe? Naaaaaaa! I'll post some pics of the kids playing in the snow later.
Enjoy your day!
Cheers,
~Jen~
xoxoxox

"Show And Tell" and Wabbits

It's Friday and THANK GOD! We have a busy weekend ahead but at least there is no school to deal with. It wasn't a bad week all things considered. I finally got my paperwork back from the doctors office yesterday so I was able to go down and hand it in. The medic I spoke too said it takes about two weeks to hear back from the medical review board in Borden. I have heard of people getting it back in less than that though. I am hoping to go to BMQ in January or February. It's going to be a full year of training with all the courses, longer if I get stuck on PAT platoon waiting to get loaded on a course, so the sooner I can get there the better. If it all works out I will be finishing my training around the same time as Todd is done his course. Keep your fingers crossed!

The girls are doing well. Alexis got an Academic Star Award from school. She was very proud and couldn't wait to show it to her dad when he came home from work. Her new favorite thing at school is "show and tell". Her day is Wednesday and she always asks me "how many more sleeps till Wednesday?". She is doing really well. We have parent/teacher interviews the first week of December so I will be able to see what kid of progress she is making. And little Kennedy is doing well too. She is going through a phase where she is obsessed with numbers. She loves to count things and looks at the clock on the stove to see what time it is. She will come into the living room and say "Mom it's 1-2-6 is it time to get Lexie yet?" I Always tell her we go get Lex at 3-2-0. Maybe Santa will bring her a watch for Christmas. She also counts her pet shop toys and puts them in her back pack. "Mom I have one puppy and two wabbbits in my pack pack" too funny. They are both driving me nuts with their Christmas lists. Every time they see a toy on TV they ask if I can add it to their list. I told them Santa is going to need a platinum Visa and a bigger sled! We have a PVR so Kennedy will actually watch a commercial, pause the TV and call me so she can rewind it and show it to me. Good grief!

Well thats all for now. All is well here in Ottawa.
Sending love and laughter to you all.
xoxox
~Jen~

Remembrance Day and More Touque Trouble

I'm disappointed. We went downtown to see the big National Remembrance Day Ceremony on Sunday and we couldn't see or hear a darn thing. We got there super early and found a cheap place to park (by Ottawa standards anyway). We arrived almost a full hour before the whole thing started and we could have had a great spot but we had to wait for Todd to report to his MWO. So we ended up not being able to see anything but we could hear the 21 gun salute loud and clear! It was a beautiful day so we were lucky in that respect but the kids got cranky and as you can see by the photo so did someone else! There was something like 30 000 people crammed into that little square by the war memorial. Crazy! Before we left we had more touque drama. I couldn't find Kennedy's new touque anywhere. It's like it up and walked away. I still haven't been able to find it. So what do you think she had on her head to go downtown? Lexie's Tinkerbelle Touque! Hmmmm...I think it was planned all along. I hope you all had a good day and took time to remember our soldiers.
Lest We Forget.
~Jen~
xoxoxox

Touque Trouble

I always wanted girls. I remember when Kennedy was born I actually woohoo'd right there in the delivery room when they said "it's a girl!". I got lucky both times around. I had fun when they were small dressing them to the nines. Pink dresses, tights with ruffles on the bum and little black party shoes. But all hell broke loose this week over a touque. Kennedy refused to wear the blue touque she has that matches her snowsuit because she wanted one with Tinkerbelle on it like Lexie has. I made her wear it anyway because it was cold and she cried all the way to the school and back with her little arms crossed. This wasn't a fight I was ready to have everyday so off to Wal-Mart we went to look for a Tinkerbelle touque. Of course they didn't have any so I let her pick one out that she liked and one for her sister too. It's not what I would have chosen for her but it's warm and she likes it. I guess it's time to step back a little and let them do their own thing, the days of little white tights and party shoes are over! Lord help me when the teenage years hit, I know I'm in for a few battles.




Enjoy your weekend.
Cheers,
~Jen~
xoxoxoxox

Happy Monday!

Hi!
Well it's Monday again, time to start another week! Is it just me or is time getting away from us? It will be the end of the year before we know it. Time to start gearing up for Christmas. I think I will start pulling out a few decorations next week. I am really excited to be able to spend the holidays with my mom. I think it will be fun to have all three of the little girls together on Christmas morning.

Sunday is Remembrance Day. We are planning on going down to the National Ceremony. I am looking forward to it, it's sure to have a bigger impact in person then watching it on TV. I got a poppy the other day and I asked Kennedy if she knew what it was for. She said "For Daddy to put on his uniform". I had to laugh at that. I will have to sit down this week and try and explain it to her without going into too much detail.

I hope you all have a good week.
Take Care.
~Jen~
xoxoxox

Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone! How lucky were we to have such beautiful weather to go trick or treating? Such a change from last year when they were in their full snowsuits. The girls had a blast and came home with a BIG bag of candy. I'm sure daddy will help them eat it! This was the first year Kennedy was actually into it and her and Lexie were running from house to house to get their candy. It was a really fun night.

We did end up putting hoodies on under their costumes before we went out but still nothing like last year!

Last Halloween...poor kids couldn't even move!

I hope you all had a good time.
Cheers,
~Jen~
xoxoxox

Happy Monday!

The sun is shining this morning. A good way to start the week if you ask me! There is a chill in the air now so you can tell that winter is just around the corner. I am not feeling overly inspired to blog the last couple of days. Not too much to tell and all I can think about is that paperwork coming back quickly! I'm off to get dressed and head to the MFRC to fax it. Enjoy your week and I'll update soon. Maybe with some Halloween pictures!
Cheers,
~Jen~

Too Good To Be True

UPDATE - OCTOBER 27: The doctors office called this afternoon and told me to go ahead and fax over my paperwork and that she would fill it out for me. Thank God for that! Now I will have give them a ring back and find out how much it's going to cost. It has to be less then the clinic here wants though so that's a bonus. I hope your all enjoying your weekend despite all this damn rain.
Cheers!

Yep it happened, I hit a snag in with my Medical. I knew things were going too smoothly! The good thing is it shouldn't be too hard to get it all sorted out, the bad thing is that it is going to be expensive. I will get reimbursed for some of it through our health insurance though so that helps. Basically I have to see a doctor and get him to sign off saying that I am medically fit for duty. I called my family doctor back home to see if I could send her the paperwork but her receptionist thinks that she will want to see me in person. I'm not about to hop a flight home (although I would love to see you all!) so I left her a message explaining the situation. I hope she is willing to do it for me. Keep your fingers crossed! Otherwise I will have to go through a clinic here to get it done and thats what's going to cost me. I should find out tomorrow or Monday what the deal is. It will all work out its just going to take a few weeks to get it sorted. Patience is not my strong point as you all know so I am more than frustrated at this point!

We don't have any big plans for the weekend. I need to get some organizing done around here so I think thats what I will be doing. Fun stuff! At least I don't have to work. Woohoo!I hope you all have a great weekend.
Cheers,
~Jen~
xoxoxoxo

The Incrediable Shrinking Woman And Kids With Cooties

I'm worn out, I'm not gonna lie. All the stress has finally got to me I think. Combine that with me working all weekend and I'm beat.When my head hit the pillow last night I was out like a light and didn't move until the girls begged me to get up at 7:30 this morning. Thank god for Timmies or I would never make it through the day. I have the weekend off so I will be able to rest a little. Thank God!

Yesterday during my physical I was weighed and measured. I was really happy to learn that all my running has payed off and I am down 37 pounds since June. That's more than a Kennedy lol. I was a little more surprised when I found out that I am 170cm tall. That is 66.9 inches and that means I am only 5'6" and a bit. All this time I thought I was a 5'8" and a bit so I have either really shrunk or I was wrong all along! I thought for sure they had measured me wrong so last night I had Todd do it and sure enough it's right. Crazy!

The girls got a new game last week. It's called Cooties. Some of you might remember it from when you were a kid. It should have been taken of the market years ago though or they need to put a warning label on it: "MAY CAUSE EXCESSIVE SCREAMING AND WHINING". At the very least they could throw in a couple sets of ear plugs. The girls love to play with it but fight over who gets which cootie parts. I swear I need to buy another set just so they can both have a damn bow to put on their Cootie. Stop the madness!

Time for me to hit the shower and get some stuff done around here.
Cheers,
~Jen~
xoxoxoxo

A Speedy Update

Just a super quick update before I head out to work. I had my interview and medical today and everything went really well. I just need to get a couple papers signed by my family doctor. Once I hand them in they will finish processing my application. I more or less got the green light today though so it looks like a go for January depending on how long it takes to get my medical paperwork back. The car accident I had last January has been a nightmare. I am finally well and it is still causing me trouble! If buddy would just have been paying attention.....Everyone at the recruiting center has been really great. The Med Tech that did my medical today has been around the block a few times and had some really good info for me about the trade. It has been a good experience for me so I hope it continues.

Well that's all for now. I'm off to work.
~Jen~
xoxoxo

CFAT

Hey All!
Been a few days since I have had a chance to update. I have been working like crazy. Thank god I get next weekend off! I changed my profile picture...happy mom? I guess the black and white one didn't look like me.

Some military news to share....I took the CFAT this morning (that's the military aptitude test) and I rocked it! I thought for sure I bombed the math section. I didn't get all the questions done but I must have done better than I thought because I qualified for Medic. Can I get a "Hell Ya"?! I could have done cartwheels out of the recruiting center :) Tomorrow I have to go back down there for my medical and interview. It's going pretty fast, I'm surprised. I'm sure I'll run into a snag, shit usually doesn't roll this smoothly for me. After all that is done tomorrow the waiting game begins. Wait Wait Wait! In the mean time I need to get my ass and gear and get back to my training schedule. I have been a little lax in the last couple of weeks.

Other than that things here are quiet as usually. No dramas or traumas to report. I guess I'll count that as a blessing!
Cheers,
~Jen~
xoxoxox

Pink Eye, Head Lice and Lockdowns

Yep that about sums up Lexie's first month at school. Thank god that she didn't get lice but they sent home a notice to say someone in the class had it. Of course I launched into full freak out mode. So we started the tea tree oil shampoo and had the big talk about sharing hats and stuff with your friends. Fun stuff! Two weeks ago she caught pink eye and was nice enough to share it with Kennedy and I. Yesterday she came home and told me they had a "lockdown". "But don't worry mom I wasn't scared" she said. "We had to sit together and be quiet. Ms.Myers covered up the window so the bad guy couldn't see in. My friend was scared but I told him not to worry". All this from a five year old! Now of course this was just a drill but it bothers me to think that my child has to have this kind of training. Remember when it used to be safe to go to school? So I am learning that Kindergarten is very dramatic! I hope things quiet down a bit. On a positive note Alexis is doing well and is loving her French classes. It amazes me how fast kids can pick up a language, I wish I had that kind of brain power!

I'm off to join the "Scrapbooking Mama's" tonight. Lets see if I can make it through the night without tea coming out my nose!

Until tomorrow folks!
Cheers,
~Big Red~
xoxoxoxo

Just Don't Do It!

All right my friends can we please talk about Crocs and socks for a minute? Now I love my Crocs as much as the next person but I will be the first to admit that they are not the most attractive pair of shoes I own. They are comfy and great to throw on when I am running out the door with two kids in tow but they are not supposed to be worn with socks. Please people I am begging you to stop the madness! If your gonna wear your Crocs leave the socks at home.

Not much going on here the last couple of days. Got a call from the recruiting center today and I have an appointment on Monday to do my aptitude test. The Corporal that is taking care of my file said I should have appointments for my interview and medical in the next two weeks. If all goes well my file will then be sent to a merit board and then I will have to wait for an offer. Wait Wait Wait! I will let you all know if I find out more.

I hope your all well.
xoxoxox
~Jen~

Oscar

Last night when I was doing my update post I totally forgot to mention our new addition! We got a kitten about a month ago. His name is Oscar and he is really cute. He has adopted Kennedy and follows her everywhere. Right now he is curled up at the end of her bed. He thinks he is a big cat and that he runs the show. We were dog sitting last weekend and he strutted around here like he owned the place. The girls love him and he has been really good for them. They were having a hard time adjusting to the move but once Oscar arrived they seemed to settle down.

Have you all heard the new Jordin Sparks song? I love it! Here are the Lyrics.

Tattoo

Oh, oh, oh

No matter what you say about love
I keep coming back for more
Keep my hand in the fire
Sooner or later, I'll get what I'm asking for

No matter what you say about life
I learn every time I bleed
That truth is a stranger
Soul is in danger, I gotta let my spirit be free

To admit that I'm wrong
And then change my mind
Sorry but I have to move on
And leave you behind

I can't waste time so give it a moment
I realize, nothing's broken
No need to worry 'bout everything I've done
Live every second like it was my last one
Don't look back at a new direction
I loved you once, needed protection
You're still a part of everything I do
You're on my heart just like a tattoo

(Just like a tattoo, I'll always have you
I'll always have you, I'll always have you)

I'm sick of playing all of these games
It's not about taking sides
When I looked in the mirror, didn't deliver
It hurt enough to think that I could

Stop, admit that I'm wrong
And then change my mind
Sorry but I gotta be strong
And leave you behind

(Just like a tattoo, I'll always have you
I'll always have you)

If I live every moment
Won't change any moment
Still a part of me and you
I will never regret you
Still the memory of you
Marks everything i do

Just like a tattoo
I'll always have you

Cheers,
~Jen~
xoxoxox

My First Update

Hi All,

So here it is....my first official blog update! I haven't the slightest idea where to start so I'm just going for it.

Things here are good. We made it to Ottawa in one piece and so did most of our stuff. Minus a few things here and there the move was pretty uneventful. I think I cried from Edmonton to Winnipeg though! We are missing home a lot but we stay busy and are finally making some new friends. The girls are well. Alexis has started Kindergarten and loves it. Kennedy will go to Junior Kindergarten next September. Right now she is enjoying having mommy(and the computer) to her self all afternoon.

I just started working at Michaels. Evenings and weekends for now, something to get me out of the house. I love it. All the Christmas stuff is starting to get put out so I am in my glory! A few of you all ready know but I will confirm the rumor here....yes I did apply for the military. I went down and passed in all my paper work about a week and a half ago. They are just waiting for my highschool transcripts to arrive. I should get a call to do my aptitude test and interview in the next few weeks I think. Hard to say though, you know what the military is like. Wait Wait Wait! I have been working out and running trying to get myself ready. It's hard work! I am struggling with push-ups the most but I am pushing myself to do them. I am actually starting to get a little muscle in my scrawny arms! As far as what trade I want, I put Medic as my first and only choice. I guess I will have to wait and see what comes back on my aptitude test before I look at anything else. I will keep you all posted.

Todd's course is going well. He seems to like it. He has joined a broomball team here in the city and plays one night a week. Add my scrapbooking night and work to that and we are busy busy! The girls that I have met here are too funny. I actually had tea come out my nose from laughing last week. Something about a lobster tail. I think you had to be there. It's nice to have some new friends but I still miss you all like crazy!

I think that about does it for now. Stay tuned for some video. I have to figure out how to get it from my camera to the computer and then post it. You won't believe how big the girls are getting! And yes Pauline, Kennedy still has that squeaky voice and the girl never shuts up!

xoxoxox
~Jen~

Hey!

Hi Everyone!

So here it is...the Crazy Red Heads blog! I have been getting lots of e-mails asking how we all are and what Ottawa is like so I figured this would be the best way to keep you all caught up. Check back for an update soon. I'm going to try and post some video too. We miss you!