Melspeth, The Other Blog

Sick Kids

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:50:24 GMT

Oh, how I love it when the kids are sick...We've had our share of illness and injury this last week or so to last us for a while.

First off, Geoffrey broke his collarbone while playing with a friend a week ago last Thursday. After the requisite trip to the ER, followed by x-rays and waiting for someone to look at them, Geoffrey left with a wimpy little sling and the assurance that it would heal up within a week or two. Of course, this being his first broken bone, Rick and I were a tad concerned that his shoulder blade seemed so out of alignment, so I called the doctor last Monday and managed to get squeezed in (remind me to rant later about the abominable people skills of the receptionist there) and our family doctor took a look at him and reassured us that his shoulder is doing exactly what it needs to in order to heal properly. Now if we could just get him to start using his arm again! I think the prospect of riding his bike again should do the trick.

As if that weren't bad enough, he came down with some kind of 24-hour bug this past Friday that basically sent him to bed for the day, waking up periodically for bathroom, Tylenol and drink breaks. During one, Rick went to get him some lemon-lime Gatorade and Geoffrey asked, "Daddy? Is that the stuff for light replacement? Well, he remembered it replaced something in the body, just not the whole name... He slept most of that day and fortunately, he felt fine on Saturday.

But now it's Emily's turn. She is currently asleep in my bed (after some early morning snuggles), doing the "zombie-sleep", mouth all gaping open, head thrown back on the pillow. Her temp last night was 103, so I'm just trying to keep it at a manageable level until she's feeling better. Even in her fever-induced fatigue, she has still managed to amaze me, though. Last night, she was sitting on her daddy's lap, drinking a Yop and I said to her, "Well, the good news is, you'll be feeling better tomorrow." She pondered that for a few seconds, turned to me and said, "What's the bad news?" I was not prepared for my 3 year old child to extrapolate that kind of concept, so I had no ready answer. So the preschooler sat there waiting patiently for an answer and I looked like a carp, trying to figure out what to say. Jakk had to pick his jaw up off the floor and Rick was highly amused by his daughter's intelligence. I finally managed to say, "The bad news is that you feel kind of crummy right now." She mulled that one over for a few minutes, then repeated it back to us.

So, this week has been interesting - between trying to get everything ready for the wedding and sick kids, I'm ready for a vacation!

Mmm...Love

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:40:53 GMT

I feel loved when...

The Five Love Languages

My Primary Love Language is Physical Touch

<th colspan="2">My Detailed Results:</th>

Physical Touch:	10
Quality Time:	6
Acts of Service:	6
Words of Affirmation:	5
Receiving Gifts:	3

About this quiz

Unhappiness in relationships is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. It can be helpful to know what language you speak and what language those around you speak.

Tag 3 people so they can find out what their love language is.

Take the Quiz!
Check out the Book

My Messy Girl

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:39:16 GMT

Emily just came over to us, peanut butter and milk dotted on her face. I looked down into her beautiful, messy face and said, "Hi, Messy Girl."

"What's that?"

"Your face is messy."

"Why?"

"Because you eat messy."

"Nooo, I eat SANGwiches!"

And with a laugh and a smile, she was off again to eat her sandwich.

Snack Peas

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:51:10 GMT

This one is from Geoffrey...

We bought a big bag of sugar snap peas at Costco the other day and ever since, G has been asking,

"Mummy, can I have some snack peas?"

*grin*

Filed under: Emily is SO Cute!

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:55:49 GMT

Emily brought her tiny treasure box in to us just a few minutes ago and began telling us where she acquired each of her treasures (read: rocks). She has various rocks that she's pulled out of the garden and one pretty, tumbled rose quartz that we got last month when we went to the Hell's Gate Airtram. This is what she said to Daddy...

"This is the rock that I got at Hello's Gate!"

I have a feeling the next time we go, we're all going to wave and yell "Hello!" on the tram...

Sunskin

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:30:38 GMT

Apparently, that is the proper name for sunscreen. According to Emily, of course.

"Mummy, you need to put on your sunskin so you can be safe."

Quizzy Goodness! Viked from Wulfstan

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:04:29 GMT

1. Name: Mellissa Allison

2. Age: 35

3. Location: Chilliwack

4. Occupation: Wife/Mother/Cook/Laundress/Landscaper/Chauffeur/Embroiderer/Boo-boo fixer

5. Partner: Rick

6. Kids: Geoffrey and Emily, hoping for another one real soon!

7. Brothers/Sisters: Three brothers: Stephen, Fred and Chris

8. Pets: None of my own, but we co-op my cousin's cats, Bugsy, Callie and Baby Girl

9. List the 3-5 biggest things going on in your life:

- Getting married in two weeks

- I am hoping to get pregnant with our third child in VERY short order

- We are getting our garden organised at our new home

10. What did you go to school for?: I went to college for two years, intending to get my PhD in Counseling Psychology. I burned out and began working in the real world...still haven't gone back, though that may be in the cards for me.

11. Parents: John, from whom I am estranged, and Linda. They live about 5 minutes' drive from us. Ken and Colleen, who live in Ontario.

12. Who are some of your closest friends? I've got friends from almost 30 years ago, but these are who I feel most close to these days: Rick, Laura, Haley, Lorna, Jakk, Julie. Still others I am close to, but geography prevents us from being much more than acquaintances.

An Oldie, But Still A Goodie...

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:55:43 GMT

"Mummy, why did the girl throw some butter out the window?"

"I don't know, why DID the girl throw some butter out the window?"

"To see a Blutterfly!"

She can say butter. She can say fly. But ask her to put them together and you get BLUTTERFLY.

I'm looking forward to decorating the church and reception site with our blutterflies...

Crapillaries

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:51:07 GMT

Another gem from Emily today...

"Mummy, what are those?"

"Those are veins. That's what carries the blood through my body."

"And what's that?"

"That's a capillary"

*pointing* "And is THAT a crapillary?"

*bemused smile* "Yes, sweetheart, it is."

SO cute!

Keymote Control

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:41:38 GMT

Honest, that's what it is. Just ask Emily...

"Sweetie, what's that?"

"The Keymote control."

"The what?"

(matter-of-factly) "The keymote control."

There you have it.

Spatular!

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:08:37 GMT

The latest from Emily...

...as in, "I'm ready to turn the eggs. Can you hand me a spatular?"

I love that girl.

Froggily

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:25:09 GMT

Froggily.

Yep, you heard me. Froggily. As in, "Do you think it'll rain?" "Froggily."

This is Emily's latest mangling of the English language and I have to tell you, it's SO precious it'll give you cavities.

So, make sure you brush your teeth and chew only sugarless gum, because I don't forsee her stopping being so darned cute anytime soon.

That is all.

Weekend Report

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:27:59 GMT

Greetings, faithful readers (well, reader, at least)...

This weekend is a wedding craft extravaganza. We have several people coming over to do stuff, including sewing table runners, hem fabric, paint pots, do silk flower arrangements, paint table markers, construct pew markers, bead my veil, prepare the guest/scrapbook pages and stitch the ring pillow. Oy!

I am touched and humbled by the number of people who have agreed to help and I am grateful to each and every one of you.

Thank you.

Home

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:01:51 GMT

*long satisfied sigh*

It is so good to be home.

We are finally in one place, almost all of our stuff is in that place and we are slowly getting unpacked a little every day. Our living room is livable and thanks to FlyLady, I am keeping on top of the clutter in the common areas. Even being down for a day with stomach flu didn't put much of a dent in the routines!

I cannot tell you how glad I am to be out of our old neighbourhood. Between the 'herbal essences' wafting about and the bullet found in the hallway the week before we moved, I was VERY glad to leave there for the last time on Saturday.

We have painted in the living room, started painting in the master bedroom and will be painting the kids' room soon (probably after the wedding). Just putting a few coats of paint on the walls makes such a difference to me between "rental house" and home. We have our china and crystal nestled in the buffet and have already had occasion to use it. Thanks, dangerbrat ... :)

Now Rick and I are in full-bore wedding mode. We've been painting the last of the invitations to go out and I've been embroidering the ring pillow that Geoffrey will carry, beading the edge of my veil and I still need to embroider a nice script K onto some matte satin for the ceremony - as soon as Rick finds me one and prints it out. Then there's the floral arrangements and pew markers, but those can be finished in an evening or two. The week before will be cookie decorating time, as we have opted to serve wedding cookies instead of cake. So, all you artsy types, let me know if you want to paint/decorate cookies!

I'll try to be better about keeping this thing updated...

Moving Again

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:25:36 GMT

Boy life has sure changed in the past little while!

I am now living with the kids, Rick and Jakk in rather cramped but happy quarters. Don't ask. Just know that we are all happy and making it work.

In better news, the divorce petition is in the hands of the judge now. Finally! At the very latest, this will all be over by May 22. I feel like I can breathe again.

In even BETTER news, we are moving again. I know, you might be wondering how I could want to move again, but this is a good move for all of us. We've found half a duplex that will be perfect for us all...room for Rick, the kids and I, room for Jakk to call his own, a dishwasher, in-suite laundry, a large kitchen, a backyard, a garage...I really can't wait. Our landlords seem conservative but very nice.

If you want my new contact info, please reply here and I will let you know privately.

Flatlulent Fajita Eaters, Unite!

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:00:06 GMT

For your listening pleasure, please recall the classic Simon and Garfunkel tune, "The Sound of Silence" (and enjoy the new lyrics that Rick and I conjured up. Its debut performance was at our friend Julie's birthday party on Saturday.

And now...

"The Sound of Salsa"
(music by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, new lyrics by Rick Kimberley and Mellissa Zillwood)

Quesadilla, my old friend

You’ve come to visit me again

And in my tummy pressure is creeping,

Woke me up when I was sleeping

And the vapour that implanted in my sheet

Was hardly sweet

It had the sound of salsa

In restless dreams I ate alone

For enchiladas to atone

In the middle of a nacho plate

I found my tummy wasn’t feeling great

And I knew that the feeling wasn’t right

It split the night

It was the sound of salsa

And in my nightmares, like before

Ten thousand tacos, maybe more

And the people were running screaming

Tears of pain from their eyes streaming

People writhing, for their breathing was impaired

No one dared

Due to the sound of salsa

Fools, said I, you cannot guess

Silence doesn’t serve you best

Hear the sound and you can flee it

You can smell it but not see it

But my words like cold taquitos fell

And you could tell,

Tell by the sound of salsa.

And all the people bowed and prayed

For fear of refried beans I’d made

And I tried to give them warning

Of the methane cloud then forming

And I told them the one I feel coming

Could strip paint off the wall

Excuse me, all

I whispered, in the sound of salsa.

For Anyone Who Has Kids...

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:29:45 GMT

“Ode to Treehouse”, lyrics by Rick Kimberley and Mellissa Zillwood

“We Fall Down”, original lyrics by Chris Tomlin

We sit down

Watch Lazytown

Every day on Treehouse

And then we’ll slouch

On the Big Comfy Couch

It’s all here on Treehouse

And we see Rolie Polie Olie

We watch Rolie Polie Olie

We love Rolie Polie Olie

He’s the man

We don’t know

Where Dora will go

Perhaps to see Diego

Emily Yeung

Is sure to have fun

After her, it’s Elmo

Then we see Rolie Polie Olie

We watch Rolie Polie Olie

We love Rolie Polie Olie

Ad nauseum

Mum and Dad

Are going mad

Just from watching Treehouse

They tear their hair

Watching Little Bear

They need out of the house

But they see Rolie Polie Olie

They watch Rolie Polie Olie

They hate Rolie Polie Olie

Need a date

They don’t know

Any grown-up shows

‘Cause for them, it’s Treehouse

No NBC,

Grey’s Anatomy,

Law & Order or House

No, they see Rolie Polie Olie

They watch Rolie Polie Olie

They hate Rolie Polie Olie

Like the plague

Dad’s such a stitch

He’s got a twitch

Comes from watching Treehouse

The doctors said,

“Just go to bed,

Stay away from Treehouse.”

But he dreams Rolie Polie Olie

And he screams Rolie Polie Olie

He hears Rolie Polie Olie

In his brain

Mum’s much worse

It’s worked in reverse

Now she’s hooked on Treehouse

She sings the songs

All day long

It’s “The Best of Treehouse”

And she sings Rolie Polie Olie

She hums Rolie Polie Olie

She loves Rolie Polie Olie

She’s flipped out

We sat down

To watch Lazytown

But there’s no more Treehouse

Dad got upset,

Threw the TV set

Into my old treehouse

Now we cry Rolie Polie Olie

We mourn Rolie Polie Olie

We miss Rolie Polie Olie

Where’s the Wii?

Moving Sucks!

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:59:44 GMT

Rick is moving out to The 'Wack with his best buddy and we figured by moving on the weekend, we'd get it all done in plenty of time to have his old apartment empty and cleaned for February 1st.

Then Murphy showed up to the party.

Have I ever mentioned on here that I really, REALLY dislike Murphy?

We have had below freezing temperatures(-20 with the windchill factor the other day), around a foot of snow at Alpha Base and a parental unit that seems to have done everything in their power to impede this move, yet they complain bitterly about Rick's presence here, saying that things will only get better after he moves into his new apartment. WTF?!?! Then freaking help to facilitate the move! Sheesh...

Well, I could go on ad nauseum about the stress of my living situation, but that's quite enough negativity.

Next up: a totally, fluffy, frivolous post!

Since Danni Let The Cat Out Of The Bag...;)

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:15:12 GMT

I'm a little slow on the uptake this week...been so busy!

On Friday, January 4 at 4 pm, Rick asked me to marry him. It was all very impromptu and sweet and touching and perfect. You can read the whole story on Facebook (reply here if you can't read it for some reason).

I am overjoyed. I'm still periodically crying happy tears about it and staring at my beautiful ring (who could blame me?) *SQUEE*

Bad Blogger!

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:18:20 GMT

I have been so busy having a life that I've forgotten to write about it!

My life is wonderful - a happy, rewarding, fulfilling relationship with my soulmate, two amazing children that delight me on a daily basis and a job that keeps a roof over our heads.

We're getting ready for Christmas, too. The tree is up and decorated, the mantle looks amazing and half the presents are already wrapped. I am more organized this year than in years past. Of course, the piddly little amount of baking has already been devoured, so I am hoping to get some new stuff done in the next few days. There are mincemeat tarts cooling as I type this and I've put in an order for ingredients to make butter tarts, nanaimo bars, banana bread and date squares.

In the midst of Christmas preparations, Rick and I are also beginning to plan our wedding. Before you ask, we are NOT engaged. Yet. But with a date of July 12, 2008, we have to start getting our ducks in a row. So, expect to hear a LOT more about that as we go along.

In the meantime, I wish you all a joyous Christmas and a new year filled with happiness.

Achoo!

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 06:10:43 GMT

I am sick. Boo, sick! Called in sick to work today, sneezed/coughed/sniffled my way through a staff meeting and am now being pampered with homemade onion soup and a fabulous dinner followed by a bubble bath in a huge tub and likely a back-rub, if I ask nicely enough.

I have been fortunate to have several conversations with friends lately, friends I haven't seen or spoken to much since Jim and I broke up. I have been alternately pleased and disheartened when the topic turned to my relationship with Rick and the future we are building together. When I tell them about how happy we are and how fantastic and functional we are as a couple, it is almost always met with skepticism. Too many times now I have heard, "Yeah, he does that/it's great/you're happy now. But that could all change/you might change your mind/he might change in a year, in two years, etc, etc, etc." To that I say Fie! Fie on you, those who have never experienced this kind of love. Perhaps that was a tad harsh; let me rephrase...

I am so sorry that you have not been so fortunate to have experienced this kind of amazing, servant-minded love; the kind of love where each partner gives 100%, none of this 50-50 bullshit. The kind of love that I know down into my bones...that even before I laid eyes on him, I knew that we were right for each other, that in every way that matters, we fit together, that this man was made, molded by God for me - for this. I am sorry that you are so coloured by my past actions that you cannot see the changes I have undergone. There are some out there who feel hurt/betrayal/insult on behalf of someone who does not harbour those feelings toward me. For you, I pray that your hearts will be turned, that you will see the healing that has occurred in the hearts and lives of those directly affected by events of the past. It is not your hurt to be upset about. It is not you who was betrayed. You were simply unaware of what was really going on, that is all. There are some out there that believe I am fickle, impetuous, shallow or flighty. For you, I pray that you will open your eyes and hearts up to see how one brief period of reckless behaviour does not define me in the rest of my life. So please, take your skewed, coloured, filtered view of me, my life and my current choices and set them aside, for they will only serve to make you miserable and to damage what remains of our friendship.

Let's start fresh.

Bliss

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:30:25 GMT

Main entry: bliss

Pronunciation:: \ˈblis\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English blisse, from Old English bliss; akin to Old English blīthe blithe
Date:: before 12th century

1 : complete happiness
2 : paradise, heaven

Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

Let's Go Many Happy Sushi!

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:23:04 GMT

I love sushi *pats full belly*

*giggle*

More Meme-y Goodness, Shamelessly Ganked from Sheila

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 07:29:20 GMT

Most people like to feel comfortable. There are comfort foods, comfortable sweaters, comfortable shoes, etc. Please fill in your comfortable answers to these questions about things that make you feel good and are comfortable, just like that horrid, ratty robe you always wear.

1. What are two foods you might indulge in after a stressful day?
a. Chocolate
b. Soup

2. Which two beverages do you find soothing and delicious?
a. Chai
b. Hot Chocolate

3. What two books do you re-read every once in awhile?
a. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
b. Where The Wild Things Are

4. What two movies can you watch over and over without getting bored of them?
a. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (which, honestly, was meant to be one really REALLY long story)
b. The Princess Bride

5. What are your most comfortable articles of clothing?
a. My burgundy silk T tunic
b. My Lions Gate "uniform" fuzzy pullover - all three of them

6. Name two songs that give you comfort, or two songs that you never get tired of.
a. Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye - Beth Neilsen Chapman
b. Your Smiling Face - James Taylor

7. Lastly, what do you like to do to unwind after a hard day?
a. Eat chocolate
b. Something creative, like stitching or painting or playing my flute

'Tis The Season

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 04:43:49 GMT

I love autumn. Really, I do. The turning of the leaves; the crispness in the air; sweater weather; my creative muse roars out of dormancy and urges me to make gifts for people. Stew returns to the menu. Mmm...stew...

Autumn also heralds the return of my worst migraine cycle of the year. The slightest twitch on the barometer and my head either feels like a pregnant elephant is roosting on the top of my cranium or like I am having some bizarre, archaic "wet-leather-strap-tied-around-the-head-that-slowly-tightens-and-crushes-my-skull" torture. Ugh.

And head colds. Blasted head colds. You know, you get one, ONE measly sinus infection and then every subsequent viral infection goes directly to the sinuses - does not pass go, does not collect $200. It was bad enough that every infection went to my throat, inflaming the paltry tag of tonsil my aging doctor missed during surgery when I was 15. But NO, that wasn't good enough. My sinuses wanted parity. So now, I get this "full head assault" on a semi-regular basis. Come on, I have young children...G is going to bring home whatever germ is floating around the school this week and I'M going to catch it. Serves me right for hugging and kissing them all the time. Alright, I hereby pronounce a moratorium on maternal affection from Oct 1 until April 1. THAT should keep me healthy, right?

My favourite time of year for singing (all those awesome Christmas carols, hymns and songs) and my stupid chronic sinus infections taunt me. I'll start to feel better, sing a test song in the car and ratch my voice for another week . Maybe now that I'm attending church regularly again and singing every week it won't happen this year? I had been cautiously optimistic these last few days, thinking that my voice was finally coming back after my last sinus/throat infection in freaking JUNE. I have been able to sing higher, hold a note longer and not have the raspy, gravelly quality to my singing that I feared was becoming my normal voice. And now this. Colour me NOT happy.

Of course, now that I have vented my spleen, it is important to note that I really AM happy. My life is more full and happy than it has ever been. I am in love with a man who is my best friend, someone I get to marry in less than 20 months. My kids are a constant source of wonder and delight and we have become a tight-knit little family.

So, to sum up: migraines and colds suck, but I love my life.