While I was in Toronto visiting Auntie Lisa back in December, I lost my debit card. This was nothing out of the ordinary. I had lost it before. I usually put it in my pocket and use as needed when I have the Wee Ladies with me. Taking my purse is risky. I would likely lose that too, so I simplify by reducing the chances of leaving my purse in a store and just take the card.

When I got home, I looked briefly in my purse. I did not see it sticking out of my wallet. I didn't see it in the zipped section with the lip gloss. And it wasn't mixed in with the gas and dry cleaning receipts. I searched my coat pockets. And my jeans that I had just removed from the washing machine. Nothing. Crap.

I took the second trip to the bank branch in the last 3 months. They hooked me up with another temporary card and I waited to get my new new shiny card.

It came and all was well for a while.

This past weekend I went to buy ski poles for EvieG because she is conquering all the big hills now. I used my debit card. DENIED. I tried again and selected the other account. DENIED. I was confused. I had just used it to buy a birthday gift for a friend of EvieG's. Freaking slightly, thinking someone has cleared me out of my last few dollars, I went home and told Hubby. Everything appeared normal online. I forgot about it, figuring it was just a glitch in the systems. I concluded it was something with the chip on the card.

I tried to make another purchase the following day. Again DENIED.

What?What?What?

This was getting humiliating. I was now that person the store clerks look at and think- She shouldn't be buying anything. She is maxed out. She has a spending problem. I felt my face turn red with embarrassment. Pull out the VISA again.

When I returned home, I immediately dialed up our customer service representative at the bank. They diligently looked into my problem, making sure there was no fraudulent activity on my card or at the last place I used it (the toy store?). They asked me a series of questions including my secret password, which I had forgotten. Typical.

Then he left the line for a couple of minutes. I waited patiently, folding underwear and matching socks. He came back and asked me to tell him some number at the bottom of my card, which I did. He then solved the mystery. He politely reminded me that I had reported a lost card. He went on to tell me that I received and activated a new one. I agreed with everything he was telling me. He then concluded that I had been trying to use my lost card.

I was using the lost card. The card that had been in my wallet the entire time. Right beside the new new one.

I had to call the bank to realize that I had lost my mind. Thanks to the guy at the bank for solving that problem for me.

All's I'm sayin's all.

Spark Plug is a pack-rat at the ripe old age of almost 4. There is stuff everywhere in her room and anywhere she collects her trinkets. She places her special pieces in their rightful spot. She knows exactly where everything is and belongs. And she even has her footwear ordered according to function.

She has photos lining her bedside table, along with her toothbrush which she refuses to keep among the others in the bathroom that belong to the rest of us plebes. She has flowers, fresh and fake, a self-decorated hand-held mirror, art work, and a piggy bank. There is a table cloth under it all to make it look authentic. A baby blanket is the surface on which all of these treasures rest.

She has her hot pink Tender Tootsies beside her bed. She also has her slippers that make noise for when she is feeling fancy. She then has her pair of 'nighttime slippers' which are Tinkerbell foot covers she got for Christmas and she puts them on as she tucks into bed each night. Downstairs she has her snow boots, of course. And her running shoes for the gymnasium at the Y. But also- her sparkly flip flops. She keeps these in her swim bag for the Y to wear to and from the pool.

This kid cracks me up. She knows exactly where and how she wants everything. She thinks about and executes her plans. She goes through my MIL's place and takes whatever she is allowed to take. After our last visit, Spark Plug came home with a giant plastic bag full of necklaces, framed photos, stuffed animals to add to the already enormous zoo along the side of her bed, toy bird feeder, Tinkerbell plastic cup and plate, and on and on. And it all gets placed.

I don't even bother tidying her bedside table. There's no point. She would just put everything back where it was before. She fiddles with it so much, I doubt there would be any dust collecting on it.

When I accidentally forget to hide the art work at the bottom of the recycling bin, she throws a fit and takes it out again. I apologize, claim my ignorance, and slyly wait for her to forget about it again, snatch it up and bury it for good. If I didn't recycle anything or occasionally pitch out the broken jewellery, we wouldn't be able to move in here.

I can't even imagine what this is going to mature into.

Yes, I can. A fussy, anal, picky, pack-rat who will have every surface covered. With her Jimmy Choos and clothing arranged by colour, function, and season.

All's I'm sayin's all.

I know it is almost the end of the month. I wrote it the first couple of days into the new year.

Given what has happened in Haiti, I have taken the time to try and explain things like fresh food and water, housing and living conditions to EvieG and how disasters can strike and change the lives of millions. I am trying to show her that there are many people in the world who are living through horrific tragedy and who are simply trying to survive. I don't know how much she can comprehend but I figure it is worthwhile explaining.

The next question is trying to be proactive. By donating to the cause is one way, but I am often thinking to myself, how else can we help or how can she see the realities and struggles that people are faced with everyday around the world? This will be something I explore as the Wee Ladies get older.

It is so easy to carry on with our days with our kids. I have been thinking a lot about how the people in Haiti are coping. I realize that in our global village, we are all neighbours and we all can do something to help in times of need.

All's I'm sayin's all.

We went out for a bite to eat. We ordered our drinks. We perused the menu. We decided what we wanted and the Wee Ladies had also decided. The server returns with the drinks and the straws in the paper wrapper. As she asks us for our order, we begin to list off our requests. Just as she looks to EvieG, she is greeted by a paper straw wrapper. EvieG took the top off the wrapper, blew into the straw sending the rest of the wrapper torpedoing through the air.

Awesome.

I get the old stare-over-the-glasses look.

Hubby was sitting across from me with a sheepish grin. I felt like we just stepped back to third grade when he would have been shooting tiny bits of saliva soaked paper across the classroom, pelting the cute girl on the ear.

What other bad habits or influences have seeped into the ever-growing repertoire of inappropriate acts? Well, Uncle Jeff was here for Christmas. And with that comes a whole new exposure to sayings and acts of silliness. Like rhyming off the saying that is plastered on his t-shirt: I make house calls. Nice. And the old, "Pull my finger!" He burps and passes gas in our house. He buys us Dashboard Hula Girls and fridge poetry that consists of movies' greatest lines. Obviously a few magnets went in the trash. There were some bad words and EvieG knows how to read. Today she asked where the magnet was that says, "I'm ready for my closeup." Oh, and she also asked where she could find the one that says, "I see dead people."

While they clearly don't get the full meaning behind these things, they think it is absolutely hilarious. They have many good laughs with the uncles and Hubby. It is good that they have some silly boy influence in their lives. It keeps them sharp.

I wonder if we will ever get a call from school about EvieG's pea-shooter? I have told her that whatever Uncle Jeff and Uncle Paul teach them stays in our house. And it never leaves. EVER.

But I have one rogue influence. Their father. Now what do I do about that one?

All's I'm sayin's all.

PS I have sent off my Who's DDM to my web guy last week. I have not heard anything from him. I don't know where he is or if he is away. I am going to try and get it up ASAP. My apologies.

Hubby and I are one week into a 30 day cleanse. All is well so far and I have lost 6 pounds. I am feeling fantastic. I have energy. I go all day long without stopping. I have a list a mile long of things I want to do this year. I will have it all for you in the Who's DDM section. Click here for that. I haven't written there since October. Slacker, I am.

The holidays are a time for indulging. That I did. So much so that on Boxing Day I had to take a Zantac. I have never taken one of those in my life. Too much rich food. And so we got all the treats out of the house on the 26th and vacated our house of anything else that a Zantac would like to attack.

The Wee Ladies had a super time. The Destroyer especially. All she asked Santa for was a candy bracelet. That's it. She got three. So for Christmas Day and the day after, she wore them around her neck and wore them down. She was caked with white goop all around her mouth and down onto her neck and chest. It was a true sight to see. She asked me this morning for another one.

Sugar is her weakness. Anything sweet. Or refined. Like Kraft Dinner. She loves these things so much she wants to carry them around with her. She walked around with the unopened Gummie Life Savers that were left in her stocking. For days. And I would try and take them away at which point she would yell, "I hold it!" Eventually I found trails of wrapper around the house. It was a gradual process. She does the dame thing with the KD. She will randomly go into the cupboard and parade around shaking the dried macaroni inside. I will say, "We have already had lunch!" She practically spits, "I hold it!" in my face, knowing full well we are not having it to eat.

So it is increased fruit, oatmeal with flax, apples and honey. It is granola with vanilla yogurt. She is digging it and besides the comment about wanting another candy bracelet, she really hasn't asked for anything else sweet. And she really hasn't attempted to help herself like she was doing. She is not reaching into the cupboard that is at her height looking for the Digestives, granola bars, or raisins.

Maybe it is because I finally got my act together and removed it. Not from the house, but to another location. We have to have Digestives! Isn't that like a childhood staple? When we were kids, we occasionally got the chocolate covered ones.

One of my resolutions: Keep The Destroyer from eating too much sugar and monitor more closely what she is snacking on.

And the same goes for me.

All's I'm sayin's all.