Friday Fragments - One week down

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments - please visit my friend, the lovely lady Mrs.4444.

And freewriting Sara at Ordinary & Awesome:

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I fear, my friends, that for the next little while most of my posts will be more fragment than anything else. I'll be honest.

I am tired. And I haven't even done any real work at work yet.

My week has really been a mess of fragments.

The stress of worrying about the kids adjusting ... the different driving routes to try to optimize the morning time with the kids and shave minutes from my commute at the same time ...the meeting of new people, new faces all smiling for now, friendly faces all for sure, even my new department, who don't yet know what to make of me ... the energy of keeping a brave face and trying to impress my boss ... the guilt that eats at me while I let the kids munch on little snacks as I rush with the dinner prep ... the bitchiness that my husband has had to endure while I adjust to my new fatigue and launch my Superior Wifeness at him. He's probably happy that he's travelling again today (oh yes, we're quite the exhausted couple these days).

But all is good. I shared with my group that I almost passed out at an Iggy Pop concert, that I snowmobiled in Iceland and that I don't drink alcohol. Most of them figured out the alcohol was the lie. Party on, people.

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I bought the newest book, The Family Dinner Fix, from Sandi Richards' Cooking for the Rushed series - I don't know if you've heard of her, but I used to watch her TV show sometimes as she helped families deal with meal planning to cope with busy week schedules. She's actually great on TV, and she's got loads of experience (I think she's got something like eight kids). I love how she gets everyone involved in the meal planning and actual cooking. However, I've never used any of her recipes.

I'm returning the book though. I guess I'm just anal, but I can't keep a book that has recipes in it that tell you to prepare your meat, pop it in the oven and leave the oven on ALL DAY to cook until you get home. A slow cooker is one thing, but to leave the oven ON, unattended while the house is empty, for even a few minutes? That freaks me out enough. But for 9 hours? Sorry, I can't go with that, even if it is on low heat. The oven still on. I don't know why that turns me off so much. Maybe I'm just misinterpreting it, but I don't think so. It's got potential safety hazard written all over it.

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The man was awake extra early this morning to catch a flight, and because the kids are off school today, EVERYONE was out of bed before 7 AM. Normally you wouldn't catch them out of bed until 7:30 AM because they are getting into bed at freakin' 10 PM the night before!!! I've got to adjust this schedule for obvious reasons. Last night the girl asked why they had to go to bed early (and it was already 9:30 PM) because they were going to friends today - I was too tired to get into explanations. I just said, "Because Mommy wants some time with the TV." And they bought it, because they know that Mommy gets "zero" TV time because of them. I guess I'm talking their language.

So I'm awake and blogging, but I'm tired already.

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I'm taking my Mom out for dinner tonight with the kids, to Swiss Chalet. Mom could eat at Swiss Chalet everyday (well, I suppose most seniors can and do!). The kids love it too. I thought we should see her before she goes on her second trip to China this year.

It's really a bit bizarre (in a good way) that she's appears to be blossoming into her own person again since Dad's been gone. When I went shopping with her last week, she was so hip in her cool pink T with the leopard print, sequins and fringes accompanying her jeans, and a beautiful scarf draped across her shoulders. In actual fact, a lot of the fashions we were looking at were similar to what she was wearing. Did I tell you that Mom turned 72 this year? I guess after over 40 years of putting my Dad and us and everyone else ahead of her own needs, it's about time. And I'm so very glad. Now she's thinking about day trading...wow. She did also buy me a half a dozen frozen dinners that were on sale, you know, for my lunch at work. After all, I'm still her baby :).

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I've been thinking about Dad quite a bit lately. He was in management for 30 years. I miss his quiet confidence, his sage advice, his words of praise, his wise encouragement. But at least I do still have those fragments of our conversations, at every turn of my career, to look back on.

And they do echo softly in the back of my mind. In a very good way.

Have a great weekend.

Lessons learned after Day 3 on the job

• Pantyhose and velcro on the 4 year old's shoes do not get along;


• Neither do bunions and stilettos (when did the bunions happen, I do not know);


• When running out of things to discuss with people you first meet, poop and diaper changing can still come to the rescue;


• Having a supportive partner who takes the day off to play Mr. Mom on your first day back to work makes all the difference in the world; especially when one of the kids gets an upset stomach at school;


• Don't think you're out of the woods just because she's been in daycare for over a week: "I don't want to go to daycare" wimpers from her as she boarded the bus; and tears from me on the drive to the office - not the first and not the last.

I'm running my first meeting tomorrow. Any good icebreakers?

(gorgeous photo from stock exchange)

For more Wordless check it out here; and of course, since this is more than Wordful, visit Seven Clown Circus.

Fashion Friday Fragments

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments - please visit my friend, the lovely lady Mrs.4444.

And freewriting Sara at Ordinary & Awesome:

*****

This week has just flown by. It's scary how fast things go when you've got a deadline. Or you see the doors closing on one phase of your life, while new ones open into the next.

The kids were in daycare all this week and they were absolute troopers. To be honest, I think it's better for them there, interacting with friends and playing outside. If they were at home, it would be so hard to pull them away from the TV or computer.

What did I do with all my "free" time?

I finally bought a new vacuum hose and accessory set for our busted hose that we've had taped together the last two years. I did get to the gym, and I went shopping. For work clothes.

The last time I went shopping for suits was over 10 years ago. And a lot happens after 10 years and 2 kids. I went through my closet of existing work clothes, most that I haven't worn in almost 5 years and, uh, had to get rid of quite a few pairs of pants.

But I was lucky, I think I did well. And either the sizes have gotten bigger or all those efforts to get pregnant and sitting on my butt working in an office all those years ago had me two sizes bigger than I should have been.

Enough with the preamble, here are a few of the outfits I picked up. (Please ignore the greasy and tired face, I couldn't get to this until I had a free moment, once the kids were in bed and I should have been...)

This is how I usually look at 9 AM...

This is how I'll have to start to look come Monday morning...

Mexx

Mexx again...

Banana Republic

BCBG Max AzriaMax Studio
Yes, a cape! (from a new brand I found called Enjoy!)
Still Enjoying...
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Today, on my last full day as a stay-at-home mom, I'm going to go to my final BodyJam day class, meet my Mom for lunch and shopping, and get a mani-pedi that was my Mother's Day gift from the man.

And speaking of the man, he'll be home again after being away for the week. I can't wait.

Happy Friday and weekend!

Office Space

When I walk into my office next Monday morning, this will be the mixed media masterpiece that will be the first to go up:



The clouds, the hearts, the crown, the popcorn and the tiny rabbit (that she knows doesn't really look like a rabbit but they're hard to draw so this is as close as she can get right now). A little piece of G which she drew specifically for my new space.

The beautiful colours of her world, that will help me transition into my new one.

For more Wordless check it out here; and of course, since this is more than Wordful, visit Seven Clown Circus.

Friday Fragments - Back to Life, Back to Reality

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments - please visit my friend, the lovely lady Mrs.4444.

And a newer blog friend had a similar brilliant idea: Friday Freewrite at Ordinary and Awesome. Go!

First week of school, and it went off without a hitch...well, almost. Bear with me while I de-frag...

Last week, we went up north for Labour Day weekend, and the man had decided to spare me the burden of loading up his bike and that of the boy, into my minivan. He was going up first and we would join him a couple of days later. So he left me his car to drive around for a couple of days, and I didn't bother touching the van until it was time to drive up.

Mistake.

It seems that the bike had hit the interior light of the minivan. Yes, the bike hit it, not the man who was loading the bike. Amazing the power of inanimate objects when the stars align.

But I didn't get overly pissed off right away, as I was in a good frame of mind, and after all, he had loaded the van so that I wouldn't have to. Or more correctly, so that he wouldn't have to hear about it when I dropped it on my toe, which I would have done. Or do something ridiculous like hit the interior light and drain the battery. We still had the man's car, so I loaded that up and hit the road with the kids in tow. And we had an amazing holiday weekend.

We didn't get back until Labour Day, and it wasn't until the evening that we got the battery charged by CAA (I love CAA). Of course the tank was on empty (I was going to fill up before I headed north), so we couldn't drive it around much. So what happened the next morning was only natural.

You guessed it. Tuesday morning, the first day of school, and the minivan wouldn't start.

But hey, we still had the man's car. So off we went, got the kids into their classes (yay, kids are happy with their placements, all is good.) CAA to the rescue again, and charged the van. I had to take the car for about a one hour drive. But there was still a chance that the battery was shot. All day Tuesday, the van sputtered, but ran. And then again on Wednesday, it sputtered better, but ran better.

Thursday morning I got cocky. I offered to drive the kids to school, and didn't try the van until after the bus came and went.

Mistake.

Damn battery was dead!

It was 8:45 AM. The bell rings at 8:50 AM.

Oh my God! I grabbed the kids' backpacks, yelled at the boy for taking so long to get ready, and we ran all the way to school. RAN.

Me in my flip flop sandals, almost planting my face on the sidewalk twice... the girl yelling, "This is great exercise Mommy, maybe I'll be skinny like my brother."... the boy saying, "Hope you're enjoying your workout Mom!"

We got there in 10 minutes. Don't ask me how, I think we had wings on our heels. But they weren't late.

I called CAA again. And bought a new battery.

Of course, the man is away on business all week. How'd you guess?

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Well, summer is pretty much over, but guess what? I actually did get some summertime reading in! I read a book called Mortal Friends, a sizzler that takes place in Washington DC, and it was pretty good. You can read my review here. And yes, I did manage to read a couple more, so I'll post about them there soon as well.

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Speaking about books, have you heard about , The Superior Wife Syndrome? I read a review in the Globe and Mail and it looks like an interesting read. Mainly because I think I have a superiority complex and can be a nag hag from time to time. Although apparently I'm not oh so bad. Not all of the time, anyway.

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So while the man is away, I try to take advantage and watch chickflicks. I've got Two Lovers (apparently Joaquin Phoenix' best work before he became the newest member of ZZ Top) , Nights in Rodanthe and Last Chance Harvey. I'll be lucky if I get through two, but I'll let you know what I think.

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And a quickie: don't tell the husband this, but I got all sexy while he was away. I actually cleaned the oven! Hah!

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Do you remember Soul II Soul? Great song, perfect for the weekend..

Rush to nowhere

Resort living in the Great White North. Sun, sand, water, drinks, summer just got started.

Wish we were still there.

Sigh.

For more Wordless check it out here; and of course, since this is more than Wordful, visit Seven Clown Circus.

(First day of school went off without a hitch...if you don't count the car battery that needed a boost - twice!)

Friday Fragments

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments - please visit my friend, the lovely lady Mrs.4444.

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This has been a crazy busy week. The last full week before school starts next Tuesday. Days spent visiting friends, a week that was sprinkled with many a reflective moment, for obvious reasons. A week that was crazy but with nothing to show for it...what did I do all week? In fact, what have I done in the past 5 years! Sheesh!

I've really got to get organized.

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Any "So You Think You Can Dance" fans out there? The Canadian version is now in full swing and wouldn't you know it, there's a local girl in the top 16! Turns out she shares the same orthodontist as my boy - that's where we first found out that she was in the the dance show. And she is GOOD! Melanie M - not quite the doctor her parents wanted her to be (at least not yet) ... but she's on fire on the dancefloor.

So, is it just me, or are the choreographers obsessed with the "I'm a crazy stalker girlfriend who cannot let go of the man who continues to diss me" storyline as the backdrop for their dances? This is a continuing theme, which to be honest, is starting to get on my nerves. It certainly makes for drama (girls flinging themselves at the guy, clawing at them, pleading with them...) and it's art, I suppose.

I think Katy and Twitch did it best...


But can we move on now?

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As I scour the latest fashion magazines to figure out what I should invest in for my new work wardrobe, how shocked (and so NOT prepared to go there) was I to find that the 80's are again in full force. Those sharp angled shoulders, bright neon colours, harem pants ... uh, no thank you.

Back to work shopping is on my list of things to do, and I'm in the market for a couple of good suits. Should make great Fashion Friday fodder. What was that again?

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Speaking of "Back to", how much back to school shopping have I done for the kids? Let's see .... a big fat ZERO! I'm hoping that their backpacks haven't had any holes drilled into them by the bacteria that lies within, attracted by juicebox drippings and cookie crumbs circa June 2009.

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I took the kids to see "Bedtime Stories" again, but this time in the open air at our nearby soccer field. It was the last of a series that ran in our community for the first time this summer.

We met up with good friends, set up our lawn chairs, got out the popcorn, and enjoyed the film under the bright moonlight. It was fun to see the kids chattering way, little G giggling with her BFF, while stuffing her face full of popcorn. The boy intensely playing with his DS, but at least interactively with his friend (and BFF's big brother), cracking up at the game and at the movie every so often.

As the evening cooled down, and the girlie started to get tired, she climbed up on my lap for a snuggle. At first I was hit by a tinge of sadness. After all, I'm not anything if not melancholy.

This would be the last carefree summer with the kids. No more hanging out, at friends' pools, popping over for impromptu coffees with other moms in the neighbourhood, shuffling the kids off to the library for programs or just to catch a few moments with the magazines and books. At least not during the day. Oh I know, your heart bleeds. But it has been a very special time for our family.

Nothing lasts forever.

Then I realized that it's not entirely true.

The sadness faded away and was replaced by the loving cuddle of a little girl who was nestling her tired sweet face into the warmth of her mother's embrace. Her mother embracing the Now.

This, this is what I cherish, this love that I have for my kids, my husband, my family. And this love, it ain't ever going away.

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That's a wrap. Have a great weekend!

Ready or not

It's happening. It's really happening.

But somehow I knew, even back when I first got the phone call and my interest was tweaked.

Despite all the hee-ing, haw-ing, the self-doubt, the tears about whether it was time, I knew if I went in for the interview, I would get it.

And I did.

In a few short weeks, I will wake up from my almost 5 year "nap" (um, yeah, right...) and step into my new reality.

As the kids bug me about when their next playdate is, about the excitement of seeing their friends again, about getting on with their lives, I KNOW that they are more than ready.

Me? I'm scared. I'm terrified.

But mostly, I'm excited.

For more Wordless check it out here; and of course, since this is more than Wordful, visit Seven Clown Circus.