We Survived!!

We survived our first kid's birthday party!! On Friday (Nov 16), we had Lucy's birthday party. We had bought a pack of 10 invitations, and started filling them out when we realized that there are 11 other girls in the class besides Lucy. So, do we only invite senior kindergarten girls? But Lucy sits at a table with several juniors. And if we invite those kids, how does she decide among the others? So we invited all eleven; hoping that a few wouldn't be able to come on a Friday night--it was a PD Day (day off school) so I thought some kids might go away or something.

Only one girl could not come!

So, 11 girls, aged 3 (almost 4) to almost 6, plus Megan, and Huey, and Johnathon, the boy next door. Whew. It started off a little wild, with the girls all chasing each other through the racetrack of our downstairs layout. One girl was nervous, one girl wanted to see Lucy's bedroom, and one girl would only stay if her mother did (this was NOT her first party). The other girls all knew this mother, Kelly, cause she helps in the cloakroom alot. She helped here a lot too!!

It was supposed to be a non-sleepover pajama party. I cleaned up the basement, and we put up the big tent, and I had planned for them to have pizza and cake down there, but Rob said no. He wanted to bring in the outside table and put that up in the family room. He realized he couldn't get it through the door though. Just as well, cause the girls were much more active than I thought they would be!! I also wasn't expecting that some of the girls wouldn't join in the group, and that many just wanted to play with the toys that I had 'hidden' in the other room. LOL.

Lucy's cake was the showpiece. I had planned to make a 13x9 pan, and cut off some of it to serve for Megan's birthday on Saturday. But when we went to Bulk Barn to get stuff for the pinata, we decided to rent a Cinderella cake pan. It's a $20 deposit and $1.99 per day fee. I baked it Thursday morning before taking Huey to school (Megan had been getting up early all week), and started decorating it that afternoon. I finished around 3pm on Friday!

Mmmm, the bodice of the dress looked lighter than that. Here's the picture that came with the pan:

My lettering is a little uneven, but so is most of the girl's at the party! Do you know how confused I got cause the picture is reversed to the layout of the cake?!

The eyelashes and pupils were supposed to be black, but I was forking out the money for the proper Disney Princess dye set so I didn't want to buy black as well. The skin colour is called Copper and was way too peachy. I think I should have smoothed her lipstick like the instructions said, LOL.

Lucy got upset when Megan blew out the candles while we were singing! There was only two small pieces left at the end. So, now you know, Cinderella can easily feed 13 young kids, LOL.

No one threw up, only one girl cried, no one smashed the wall during the pinata (they have pull ribbons now), and amazingly, not one cup of juice was spilled! So I guess it was a success. The great thing was Saturday morning though. Huey and Lucy played for hours quietly in their room!

Why Can't You Own a Canadian?

Why Can't I Own a Canadian?
October 2002

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15:19- 24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted fan,

Jim

as found on http://www.humanistsofutah.org/2002/WhyCantIOwnACanadian_10-02.html

Possible Source

I got a call from the Public Health Department today about the Giardia and where it might have come from. The most likely source was probably from one of the farms when we did the farm tour at the end of September. I didn't touch the animals too much but at the dairy farm there were some baby cows out in their igloos. The farmer girl was talking to people, and one of the calves was sucking away on her whole hand. Megan and/or I got slimed a bit I think. Ick. We also bought corn on the cob from our regular roadside seller; it's possible it was contaminated from manure....although corn gets boiled for 7 minutes and if you're supposed to boil water for 3 minutes when camping I think 7 would also work, LOL.

Still having some pain today. The diarrhea has changed but my poops still float (giardia blocks the absorption of fat so it all comes out in the poop!).

I went to band practice last night. I got cornered by the director who asked if I had gone to school in town ".......or where did I study music?....." so I had to fess up and say I had indeed studied at university. I was hoping to be a big slacker in this group. In the Guelph Concert Band, the repertoire was very challenging and slacking was not possible. But this group is more at the advanced high school level, and as the director is a high school music teacher too, I thought there'd be a million flute players like usual.
But no....there's a grade 11/12 girl and her aunt (average), and a young boy (grade 8?) who seemed a little different and I found out last night he came to Canada from Russia only a couple years ago. Can't tell from his speech, but when the sign up sheet came around, he had to take it to his father, and sometimes he doesn't seem to understand some directions. He's a very early beginner player though and most of the music is too hard for him, but he's trying. And last night there was another grade 10 student, but she wasn't outstanding.
I've been reflecting back to when I was in grade 10 and I would have played my buns off to get a good position/chair and this music wouldn't have been too difficult. But then again, I'd practice at least two hours/day. It was surprising though how I could seem to be so good at one level, but once I got to university (and not even the top music school in Ontario by far), I was way down the ladder. And where are those players today? Not too many who graduated with a B.Mus have careers in music.....Anyway, it's fun being back in a concert band, even if I don't get to slack off and he wants me to be a pillar of timing, tuning, and articulation, LOL. I was feeling pretty beat by the time we finished last night!

Diagnosis!!

Last week was hell. I went to the doctor's on Tuesday, Oct 30 and that's when she said my liver function was high. I complained about now feeling feverish and chilled. The next day I woke with a whopping sinus infection on top of my tummy troubles. Thursday was horrific; I spent the day on the couch (snuggled with Megan who was also oozing green snot), watching TreehouseTV because I couldn't get myself together enough to get the kids to school. I went to bed early on Friday and Saturday morning my tummy felt okay while I manned the table at the "Stiches and Chain" show that the Georgetown group put on at the library gallery. But Saturday night was terrible and Sunday and Monday weren't too much better. Rob got a little ticked last night when I mentioned I had a sinus infection (like, couldn't he tell from my voice? and the piles of green tissues?). So this morning, when the diarrhea started again I gave in and called the doctor again and was able to get an appointment this morning!

She genuinely felt bad for me, which was nice to see. Pity when you're sick won't cure anything, LOL, but when a medical person says "You've had it really rough" you feel somehow like you're getting good care.

It turns out I have Giardia. Yup, beaver fever. But also can be caught in public pools and food sources--the parasites can survive even the chlorination of city water supplies! It blocks the absorption of fat, resulting in the horrifically smelling gas and diarrhea. I'll be on antibiotics for 10 days and will still feel sick and 'unwell' for at least two weeks (so much for going to the Royal Winter Fair again). My stomach will need several months to heal and I need to avoid dairy. Many people become lactose intolerant after Giardia.

So, it's not Crohn's Disease, and it's not viral, and it's not even bacterial I think. Hopefully my Giardia are not anti-biotic resistant which is becoming a big issue with them. And hopefully I can keep this weight loss off!