Friday Fragments "I'm Back" edition

Don't forget to check out the home of glorious Fragments( Mrs. 4444)

***I've got a few more posts coming regarding my NYC trip, but in the mean time here we are with some fragments.

I haven't done this in a loooong time, so glad to be back. I didn't realize how much I had missed blogging - looking back at previous posts over the holidays I realized that this space is where I've described so many amazing things about my life, my family, everything around me - things that made me laugh, cry, and think. Blogging doesn't seem to be the "it" thing to do anymore [(not sure that it ever was ;), but yeah, since you're reading this you know that we're still the cool kids, however old school this may be...]. It's incredible to me, though that I've been doing this for over 6 years now, and a lot of what has happened and changed is captured right here. And I really missed my bloggy friends.

***My husband bought me a Kobo Touch for Christmas. Well, more like I bought it as I couldn't decide what I wanted before hand- thought about Kindle Fire while in the US, but it's not available yet in Canada, and I worried about support, and access to the ebooks etc...So I stayed Canadian.

Since I'm now in a book club and reading things outside of work, it seemed like a good idea. So now I'm pumped with my Kobo and hot pink book cover - and at a loss for what to read! I have the "Virgin Cure" by Amy McKay sitting on my bedside table but I'm looking for something a bit more uplifting at the moment. Any suggestions?

***** The girlie tried gymnastics camp over the summer and I think she's discovered her passion. I can't believe the strength in that petite little body of hers - especially her pipes! With her little toothpick arms she works those bars incredibly. She's asked (and been asked by the gym teacher) to be moved up a level. I'm not sure if she's good enough for competition, but I guess we'll see.

Between her and her brother's intense soccer schedule, it may just do us in. But when you're a parent you can't not explore when your kids show such a keen interest. Regardless of how much stress it will add to our daily lives - that's what I signed up for when we had the kids, isn't it?

***** It's Chinese New year weekend coming up. We're getting together with my Mom and brother (sister will be away) on Sunday, New Year's Eve, for a family lunch. I'd forgotten that the 22nd will also be the 3rd anniversary of my Dad's passing.

Three years. That went by fast. I still "see" him sometimes whenever I see a fellow with a Kangol cap on. Dad, you were so cool.

***** I was driving the boy to his soccer game last Saturday and forcing him to talk to me - (backgrounder - apparently he doesn't talk much to his Dad in the car, and Ian asked me whether he's the same with me. To which the boy replied: "I always talk to Mom in the car, Dad. She FORCES me to, bullies me with questions so I have to answer back!" Hey, no apologies for trying to keep in the loop with my kid).

So back to the car. I was talking a bit about my week because the boy wasn't sharing too much about his. Then I started talking about my Dad and all that he accomplished in his life, how proud I was of my Dad after I found out what he did, and how proud he should be of his Grandpa (and how proud Grandpa would be of him). Yadadadada. While I was chattering away, trying to engage the boy, he cut through it all and said,
"Mom, can we just stop talking? This work stuff is just BORING!"

Can't blame him. The boy is just 11 years old, and coaching him as if he's a first year MBA student. Good job, Mom.

*****
Have a great weekend, all.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

All the best of the holiday season
from our family to yours...

Friday Fragments -I'm not perfect, but I keep trying

Check out my girlfriend's place for Friday Fragging( Mrs. 4444)

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I always struggle a bit with the title of my posts. I remember when I was intensely into the blog world, thinking about things like SEO, tag lines that would attract readers, etc. Nowadays, I usually just pick something out of my virtual hat.

The title of this one came right from the radio, at the tail end of a song that I've usually tuned out because it's been so over played. It struck me as perfect for this morning. Can you tell which song it was?

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We got up early yesterday morning to rush off to Cross Country practice. The boy was visibly a bit slower than usual - after all, he's never before played almost two straight hours of soccer at the intensity of the previous evening. I asked how he felt.

"Great, Mom. That was so much fun. But I think I should pass on the cross-country this year. I want to focus on the soccer, and save up for tonight. I don't want to be too hard on my body. I'll try out for cross country next year, if I don't make it into rep. "

And off he scampered, to log on to Xbox Live to chat with his overseas best friend.

Hmmmm, I suspect the Xbox had something to do with it. But I think 4 hours of soccer over two days is enough physical activity to balance that. I breathed a bit of a sigh of relief. I could do the shuttling, but it's great that he's taking charge of his own schedule and making his own, logical, decisions.

I am so proud of him for his dedication and ambition to make this soccer thing work. He's been finishing his homework at the after school program, making sure I sign his agenda, keeping me apprised of what's going on and then eating, getting himself ready with his soccer gear, even helping me get his sister ready in between. If he makes it on the team, the excitement will carry us into the crazy schedule.

You must be feeling the glow from me beaming through your screen.

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What kind of commenter are you? Because of time constraints, even if I get to most of my fave blogs, I either don't get a chance to comment at all, likely because I have nothing cheeky or clever to say. And I think "great post" is somewhat lame. For me anyway.

Or I'll write comments of epic proportions. Crazy, eh?

I wonder how I had the discipline to work from home, when I was blogging with greater intensity. Oh yeah, I didn't really - explains why I was often working into the wee hours of the night. I suspect that a lot of bloggers blog while at work. I've made a decision not to do that, even during my lunch break. Just my own rule - not judging, or anything. It'd be easy enough to do as I have an actual door (yeah, big thing... I had an office for years, then went to open concept, which was tough after having a real door... so when I took this job it was imperative that I got my door back. How Les Nessman of me. Speaking of which, didn't you just love WKRP?
Oh wait, you're too young to remember.)

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I must, must, just say: Jon Hamm.

He was in town for the TIFF. Sigh and double sigh.

Hey, I still love my husband. But this guy, he's even Jon Stewart's "free pass".

So, I can be forgiven for just looking.

Come to think of it, I think I love Jon Stewart too.

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We're going to a family wedding tomorrow. My family on my father's side.

This will be the first time that we'll be together with our family, our larger extended family, since my Dad's funeral.

Weddings and funerals. Family time.

Wish me luck. I think it might be a bit of an emotional weekend.

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Thank goodness I'll be seeing my husband again tonight.

Yeah, he's been away all week playing "surfer dude" at a work event down in San Diego (remember the Bruno wig... yeah, I'll let you imagine that in your mind...)

And I can't wait. Boy do I miss him.

17 is a very good year: an anniversary post

Well we made short work of that last night, didn't we?

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After a lovely anniversary dinner where the girlie only acted up mildly (obviously no nap earlier in the day), we came home and celebrated with a bottle of bubbly while watching Man Vs. Wild with the boy.

It was lovely, really. Because it's what marriage is all about.

(That was then...)

****

As I managed a two week holiday this past month, I'm still trying to get through the dozen or so magazines that I purchased for my downtime. A very timely read for me yesterday was this article I found in Elle, "Till Whatever Do Us Part". I don't know if I was just totally primed for it (hello, anniversary) or if indeed it was one of the best articles about marriage that I had read in a while.

It got me thinking about why our marriage works. So here are 17 reasons why I think we're still going strong:

1/ He knows that my shopping addiction will never go away, and he'll even $upport it from time to time.

2/ He thinks I'm cute.

3/ We laugh about stupid things that no one else gets.

4/ We survived unexplained infertility and made a couple of miracles:



5/ He only borrows my make-up occasionally.


6/ He makes awesome Grey Goose martinis.

7/ We designed and did our own contracting for the following and our relationship remained intact:



8/ He helped me find a career and pushed me to re-charge it 12 years later.

9/ He held me up during the lowest point in my life ... and made me stronger.

10/ He encourages my writing on the blog even if it's taken over my life the odd time.

11/ We respect that we each have a life of our own. We support each others' "nights out" with the girls and boys.

12/ I think he's cute.

13/ The sex is still pretty good when we find the time for it. Still???? You bet, just don't tell the kids.

14/ I'm type A++++ and he's not.

15/ He knows me, he really knows me and still...

16/ He loves me and,

17/ I love him.

(This is now...)

Happy M Day

"I started a blog."

"Really, you did? When? "

"Yeah. On Mother's Day. You're the only one who knows about it, other than Ian."

"Hah! Karen, you're SUPPOSED to tell people about it!"

That was a conversation between myself and my tech savvy IT brother. About a blog that I started 5 Mother's Days ago. About my thoughts, my ramblings, my weirdnesses all captured on the internetz for at first, just me ... but eventually the whole 'nuther world.

My girl was just under 5 months old. My boy had just turned 5. I was exhausted and sleep deprived (you can tell here.) But I liked to read. And I loved to write. I think I've learned to write a bit better through the process. Not so much lately, though.

Because at five years older, not necessarily wiser -- I am still exhausted and sleep deprived.

But a very happy mother nonetheless.




Hope all you Mamas out there had a wonderful day!

Double Digits

"What a relief, I was getting tired of being a single digit!"

Someone hit a decade old today. He's absolutely thrilled.

A special little someone who totally changed my life ten years ago.



A special someone who is not so little anymore.



The first person in the world to ever call me "Mommy".

Happy birthday, my boy wonder.

A Year in the Life of ...

So I stumbled on a wonderful idea by way of the brilliant Scary Mommy (who is not so scary in real life, in fact, she's a sweetheart)!

As we wind down the decade, why don't we look back at 2009, from my blog-eyed view? To say 2009 was a most eventful one, with the highest of highs, and the low, lowest of the lows would be a massive understatement. These aren't necessarily my best posts ever, but they do sum up the year for me.

Here we go:

January: Possibly the worst month of my life. Oh I know, a bit dramatic, but this was the month that I sprained my knee and had to do the helpless "damsel in distress thing" with ski patrol; suffered my second gall bladder attack (on purpose, because it was cheesecake and I deserved it because it had been such a shitty start to the year)...and lost my beloved Dad.

But at least I was able to pay tribute to him publicly without losing it: A Tribute to the most wonderful man.

February: Still in grief mode. But this is one of my favourite posts ever. It's why I'm here: Lucky.

March: I hit my 500th post this month. So I did the whole Q & A thing, which ate up several posts. I also participated in the ultimate blog party. "Everything you ever wanted to know about me" is another title for March 2009. However, I'll have to link to this post, because there are some awfully precious moments in life, and I'm so mature that way: AKA the converter.

April: My boy turned 9. And this post was my favourite of the month, because it just warms a mother's heart: Brothers and Sisters

May: Wow, this was the month of my bitch-rant! And I did get a whole lotta sympathy: Gimme Sympathy.

June: I came out to some Real Life friends about this ole' blog here...and also the answer to my May problems was starting to come to light. Coming out and the world not imploding; and the most important job.

July: Two syllables, one word. BlogHer. (Two days in the life, a few bottles at a time...) And here's further evidence:

(That's me with Courtney, Mrs. 4444 and Melissa)

I miss my party girls.

August: Thank goodness for my pal Mrs. 4444 and her Friday Fragments. The summer of my big life decisions was summed up on several Fridays. My anniversary was in there too, But here are my scattered thoughts which accurately describe my August, as I grappled with the whole SAHM versus Career Woman life shift - a pictorial as to why I suck as a crafty SAHM -see Barbie Exhibit A.

September: The leap back into the work force. Ready or not.

October: It was my birthday month. And I don't mind linking to pictures of me when I was much cuter: Birf-day girl.

November: I don't blog about the Man much, but sometimes I just have to. Especially my superior wife moments: We interrupt this blog post...

December: Well, after a rough year, I need a new one. This is a tired post, but the kids bring out the spirit of the holidays just when you need it. Elyse Mommy Da

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Wishing you all a fantastic, happy and healthy 2010!!!

The Gift

My most memorable Christmas gift?

There have been many - Christmas has always been a time when I've been giddy with excitement, brought to the point of NO WORDS I've been so excited. ( I have witnesses.)

But there's no getting around THE ultimate Christmas gift:


My Christmas baby, the Christmas miracle, who came a month early in December 2004.

*****

But we were more than ready for you. The cycles, the struggles, the heartache, the journey ... we'd been trying and hoping for a long, long time.

There are not enough words to express what a wonderful gift you've been to me, your Daddy and your big brother. You've shown us the value of patience, shared the joy of your boisterous laugh, made us marvel at how perseverance and stubbornness can reside in the tiniest person and opened an incredible new view of the world.

The world through your eyes...and the world is your oyster, princess.

Who could ask for a better Christmas present?

(This is my latest effort in the writing group I've joined with a bunch of blog pals. Join us:

Merry Christmas to you and yours...

I've been spending the last few days doing something perfect ... hanging out with my family, celebrating my baby daughter's 5th birthday, watching the kids frolic in the snow...

And loving it.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas from our home ...

and a glass of Christmas cheer ...

Friday Fragments - Oh. Mah. Gawd edition

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

****

Holy comments, Batman!

I have been totally overwhelmed by the SITS experience, as I got about 164 comments on my main blog, and so many more on the actual posts that I shared. You know, the posts that I put up when I was still doing something called WRITING? There's a paucity of that these days.

I intend to get to each and every one of the bloggers' blogs who came by for my SITS feature. I know that I've always said this blog is more of a creative outlet for me than anything else, but there's no getting around that fact that I loves me some comments. I also try to comment back to whoever visits me on FF, but I'm doing a rather crap job of that these days too. We're getting there...

So why break with current tradition - instead of quality writing, I'll post a couple of random photos.

As promised, here's a photo of me in my dress for the holiday party.

It was taken at about 1:30 AM last Saturday, aren't you impressed? I mean, that I'm still standing, even if I have a stupid grin on my face. My feet were totally killing me, but you just gotta do what you gotta do in the name of fashion sometimes. That stupid grin is actually severe pain masked by liquid band-aid in the form of 6 gin and tonics and 4 glasses of wine with dinner. So yes, it is a miracle that I am still standing.

We had a great time at the holiday party -- once they started playing music from this decade. It was funny, during dinner they played some great tunes (eg. Rihanna, ColdPlay, Maroon 5, Timbaland, Justin T ...not all danceable stuff, but pretty good tunage)...and then when they opened up the dance floor they played Kool and the Gang, Bee Gees, Lady in Red ...OMG, it's like the DJ took a look at the crowd and figured we were too ancient to know any better, it was a total wedding crowd, right?

I had to go up and request a song eventually, which thank goodness they had. You know, my favourite dance tune of late ... You could tell at the end of the evening who had young kids - the ones sticking around, who only knew the songs BECAUSE we had kids.

*****

And here is a photo of the mug that my mother made me keep - it gives you a bit of a hint about where I was in Europe a couple of weeks ago.

A rather big hint, wouldn't you say?

*****

And it's a special day today.

We'll keep it low key, but it's the man's birthday!!! I still tell him he looks great for his age, as he really does. He's a little doughier than when we first met, oh, 23 years ago (gahhh!) but he was a skinny student back then.

The boy made a card for his Dad:


Probably the best card the Man has received in a long time!

I can't say enough about my husband. Sure, he forgets to take the recycling out sometimes, he never knows where his keys are, he looks at me in a daze sometimes when I'm chatting his ear off, he even humoured me once by coming up to the BodyJam class and at least looking like he would try it (but he took a look and figured he wouldn't be able to shake his white ass that low!) ...but he totally, totally gets me. He knows me, he's been my biggest supporter, never doubting my capability to do anything. He took a chance on me years ago, figuring that I would become a stronger woman - a stronger partner - when I wasn't even sure that I would be.

And the kids, they could NOT find a better father anywhere on this earth. That I am sure of.

So the girlie and I are taking the Man out for dinner tonight. I'll probably pick up the DVD "I Love You Man" (we both love Paul Rudd) and we (sans the girlie) will watch it before we pick up the boy from his first ever all-kids, no-people-over-the-age-of-13-allowed holiday party.

I love you, Man.

*****

Have a great weekend, all!

Party

We went to a friend's 40th birthday celebration last night.

It was a great night out. A wonderful dinner, with cocktails, wine, three course meal, and then more drinks - Grey Goose and cranberry anyone? And then the dinner tables cleared and there was dancing.

Dancing? I hadn't gone dancing in forever...at least not with my husband. (There was the matter of that small July partyfest in Chicago.)

The music was pretty bad (an incessant Pitbull beat that underscored every song) but it didn't matter. It was a party.

But I was a bit wrecked this morning. Just a bit.

Oh to be turning 40 again.

The Date and not Hungover*

Our anniversary dinner date was lovely.

The man had hired a car, so we wouldn't have to worry about driving. We left the kids in the capable hands of my mother, who was staying overnight. And even better, my sister, her husband and my cutesie niece came up to have dinner and a visit with them. When we headed out the door, only my sister was there to wish us a good evening. The kids were already off partying. Signs of things to come, I suppose.

Le Select Bistro was a great spot. The decor and ambiance was very much that of a Parisian bistro, and even better...no attitude from the waiter. (Okay, I know I'm stereotyping here, but I've had first hand experience of seeing a server get upset at a colleague because HE had heard the order wrong and brought back a sandwich without ham...another story for another day...).

So where were we...oh yeah, back at the bistro...

A beer for the gentleman and a lychee martini for the lady please. Very nice.

Puff pastry appetizers (escargot of course), lamb and slow cooked beef short-ribs entrees and a lovely bottle of wine from one of the hugest wine cellars I have seen in a restaurant. Wonderful, knowledgeable service amidst the quiet buzz of many a customer having a fine dining experience.

We didn't set the place on fire this time. At least not with actual flames.

After dinner, we walked up Spadina Ave. to Queen Street to enjoy some cocktails on the patio of the Rivoli. Quite a different scene. It was funny because this was just a couple doors over from the original site of Le Select, before it moved to its new location three years ago.

We ordered a couple of G & T's, and set about people watching while we sat amongst a patio of Queen Street hipsters. We've brought the kids down here many times, but hadn't had the opportunity to enjoy the vibe at night just by ourselves in a very long time.

I laughed about the henna tattoo I got a lifetime ago at the neighbouring Le Chateau ... we watched with interest as gaggles of young women walked by wearing sky-high stilettos and skirts barely covering their arses...a family walked by, with Mom pushing the stroller while Dad wore baby and they all wore matching afros ... we got annoyed as the groups of smokers outside of the restaurant hovered in front of us ... the signs from the huge H & M across the street were a bright reminder that indeed, this Queen Street was not the same that we had frequented as students. We noticed the students in their ripped jeans, slouchy hats with their carefree attitudes and we talked about whether we wished to be them again. So much has changed in 16 years.

We got caught up. Turns out there wasn't too much catching up to do. After all these years, we're still in tune with each other. Which in all honesty, was the most beautiful part of the whole evening.

*****

The boys went to see GI Joe the next day. A solid nine out of ten is what the boy rated the movie. What was the story about? He didn't really know, but it didn't matter. Action, it's all about the action, Mom.

The man brought home Famous Magazine and said: "Do you think I look like him*? A little? He's your type isn't he, fair, light eyes..."



I replied, "Actually, he does kind of look like you. Like 15 years ago..."

And so I checked. And he did. Sorta.


Lucky me.

(In more ways than one obviously. I finally got rid of that "Gilligan borrowed John Lennon's glasses and traded in the sailor shirt for a beater" look. Thank gawd.)

*I have yet to see the Hangover, but I hear it's hilarious. In the most immature way, I'm sure, but who ever said I was overly mature?

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Musical memory, here's one of our fave songs of 1993...

Friday Fragments - Anniversary Edition

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments - please visit my friend and brilliant mind who started this all, the lovely lady Mrs.4444.

*****

I'm a little sick of getting up at the crack of dawn, particularly since I am not a farmer and there is absolute no reason for me to be awake that early. I wish that fight or flight mechanism that makes the insides do somersaults for fear of the unknown, would just go away already. But we are this close, people. I'll keep you posted on the next episode of "How the stomach churns..."

*****

My Dad's monument was finally installed, and last Sunday was the first time we gathered around to take a look at it. This time, though, it was a bit of a bigger gathering, as some of my mom's best friends also came to pay their respects. It was much like our regular trips to Montreal, only this time Dad wasn't there in person with us.

The stone is absolutely beautiful, but one would hope it would be, as we went back and forth with the design so many, many times. He deserves that and so much more.

And more importantly, Mom was pleased.

Because there were others there, I didn't feel the freedom to let my emotions get the better of me. But as we walked back to the car, my boy came up to me, noticed my silent reflection and some wetness in my eyes, and asked if I was okay. I told him I was, and asked him to help Grandma to the car.

"I'm glad you're okay, Mom. He's at peace, you know." he said as he ran back to hold her hand.

And I realized that I am glad too.

*****

I took the kids to see the movie Shorts this past week. I'd never imagined that a piece of lettuce leaf that my little girl has plucked out of her nose might have the capacity to mutate into a goober monster. I hope that seeing this in live action on the big screen will help my daughter refrain from any future picking.

*****

The boy got his spacers put in on his teeth yesterday. After I dropped him off at the orthodontist's office, I went to make an important phone call before coming back in to wait for him. Who knew the office is like a factory? Apparently there was no wait. When I came back in, my boy asked if I'd gone for coffee, and took me with him to the technician. Bad mother moment..."It would have been better for me to show you how to adjust it before I put it in his mouth, but we didn't know where you were..."

Great. At any rate, she showed me how to use the little screw driver to adjust the mechanism. After five minutes of trying to find that little hole in the appliance attached to the roof of the boy's mouth, I've come to the realization that I probably need bifocals. Even more wonderful.

*****

And now comes the reference to the title of today's post.

It's our 16th wedding anniversary today.

To celebrate, we will be going out for dinner tomorrow night at one of the restaurants we used to frequent when we were dating. The last time we were there, we set the hanging bread basket on fire with the candle on our table.

I guess that's why they moved. But we found them again.

Sixteen years ago I was in a house around the corner, getting ready for one of the best parties of my life. My stomach was certainly churning, but in the most perfect of ways. Who knew that all these years later, I would be here making bacon and eggs for my cute kidlets, kissing my hubby as he heads off to the office, and sitting down to blog about it. Life is pretty good isn't it?

Life is about to change, as it has to. I have a feeling that it'll still be pretty darn good. I suspect that Dad is keeping an eye out and is proud of me for the things that are happening.

Happy weekend, all!

"Wordless" Wednesday - Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians!

Celebrate!

(photos from StockExchg)

The one where I don't want you to cry...

We celebrated my Mother's birthday tonight, with a special dinner at a special venue* and, for something completely different...no grandkids.

Different, for sure.

Things are different for all of us, but especially for her.

*****

Last night I heard some soft sobs coming from upstairs. My mommy radar was up, and I immediately dragged the little one up with me to see what was going on with her brother.

I stepped into my bedroom and saw my little boy wrapped in a tight hug with his Dad. Crying his heart out.

When my boy found out that he wasn't going to be at the restaurant, he asked about the venue. He found it interesting that my sister had picked it, and that it was somewhere that his Grandma would NEVER have chosen. She would have suggested a Chinese restaurant, or Swiss Chalet. And Grandma was always the one who chose for the grandparents' birthdays. The grandson knew his Grandma well, in fact he knew both his grandparents so well, because he was in their care while Mommy was at work until he was three years of age.

That's a lot of quality time with his grandparents. And that was a reminder of a lot of future time he won't have with his Granddad.

It's okay to cry when you're sad. I wanted him to know that, and he turned to me and we cried together. But I also reminded him that his Granddad was so proud of him, that he was so loved by him, and that he was lucky to have had the time with him. That Granddad is in a much healthier, happier place.

So the tears were dried. And they are not coming again today.

Because it's Grandma's birthday, and tears on someone's birthday is bad luck.

*****

There is much to celebrate about my Mother. I did a much better job telling you about her last year.

I continue to be in such awe of her amazing strength and attitude. She just soldiers on, and in many ways, is much busier than when Dad was here. She's making her own way around by taxi and bus (a scary proposition because we're not exactly sure just HOW bad her eyesight is)...appointments, lunches, visits to the museum, visits with friends, a couple days taking care of my niece, working out every night, joining a choir and then in her spare time watching her Chinese soap operas. Oh, and she's working on a couple of real estate deals.

Did I mention that she's 72 today?

With the attitude and energy of a 27 year old.

I'm still hoping that I inherited half of that stamina.

Happy, happy birthday Mom.

(*I used to tell the person who designed it that when you flush, the toilet water comes back through the tap - and she believed me. After all, what are sisters for?)

Weekly Winners- Mother's Day

Pretty Coral

Sunny Yellow

Tree Hugger

Playground Princess

Luckiest Mom in the World

(taken by hubs, but I loved it so had to share...)

Happy Mother's Day!!!

For more photo fun, check the home of Weekly Winners, chez Lotus.

Nine

For one so small, you seem so strong
My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm
This bond between us, can't be broken
I will be here, don't you cry

Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on, now and forever more...

(Phil Collins)

Mommy and baby fitness warmup.This was our favourite part of the workout.

You loved it as I lifted you high in the air to the swelling "you'll be in my heart"... as high as I could manage hoisting your little Buddha weight. And then lowering your giggling body as close to my chest as I could get you for a tight snuggle.

Nine years ago today, my world was changed. You brought it to a whole new level. Happy is not big enough a word to describe it.

You brought me motherhood.

We knew you were a special baby, a wonderful child.



And you're growing into such an exceptional young man.

There's a huge part of me that wants to keep you this young, lovable boy.

But there's an even bigger part of me that cannot wait to see you soar to unbelievable heights.

Knowing full well that you'll always, always come back to me for that tight snuggle.

Happy Birthday sweet child of mine.

Celebrating my inner Rednecked...ness

I'm just getting back into the rhythm of regular blogging in time for a celebration, a virtual shower in honour of the original and fantastic RedNeck Mommy, who is welcoming into her Redneck clan, a new 5 year old son. What an incredible and remarkable journey, for an incredible woman and family.

The brilliant hosts of this shower have thrown out the challenge to us to post in the theme of "You know you're a Redneck Mommy when..."

Being Canadian and raised in Scarberia - (a.k.a Scarborough, a Canadian suburb known for spawning the likes of Mike Myers/ Wayne's World, for my non-Canadian friends) this shouldn't be THAT difficult, eh?

After all, I did dress up like this in high school for a joke, but was only half laughing...



So here we go...

- you run out of the house with your 4 month old on your hip, screaming at the garbageman and picking a fight with him for doing a sloppy job;

- you smile proudly as you discover your 2 year old daughter has inherited the family's two-minute long belch;

- the picture of your 1 year old guzzling from a Coors Light bottle brings tears to your eyes and makes your heart sing;

- you let your kids have chips and fruit punch for breakfast and Mr. Noodle (it's pasta isn't it?) for lunch (hey, starch and fruit are major food groups... gotta get back to the blogs, don'tcha know...);

- your main beauty regimen consists of plucking that one lone chin hair that crops up every 8 weeks;

- you manage to use the "f" word each and every time you take the kids to Canada's Wonderland. They keep track of the number of times, and you cheer them on for their mathematical brilliance;

-you're the resident fly-swatter in the house, and have found the diaper to be an essential part of your arsenal;

-you've got a trucker tan;

-your kids knew how to head bang (all night long, baby) by the age of 1.

(see if you can guess which of the above are in fact, true)

******

Congratulations to you and your forever family, Tanis.
I wish you all the best.

Happy Valentine's, Friend...

(that's for you, my virtual friend, your Valentine treat bag...)

I don't know about you, but Valentine's Day for me is just like any other day. It doesn't mean that I appreciate my husband any less, but we find it too commercial, and if anything we're almost "anti"-Valentines. Maybe we're too practical, maybe we're too old ... the wine and roses can be enjoyed by those going through courtship, and that's just fine. If the truth be known, I've seen so many flowers recently and all they do is fade, lose their glory, and get tossed.

Oh boy, this is quite depressing.

But I'm not trying to be.

I sat at the kitchen table yesterday, putting together over 40 bags of Valentine's treats for the friends' celebrations at school today, I was thinking "this is so NOT me". I'm not crafty, I don't always relish the stay-at-home gig. As I was tying the ribbons and then curling them, Ian asked what I had done all day. And to be honest, I had to think about it...and then I realized that I'd gone to get gloves to replace the one that I'd lost, then stopped to get some juices and groceries, and finally to the party store to pick up bags for the treats. Then I picked up the girl from school, delivered her best pal home, took her home to lunch, brought her to a playdate, then came back in time for the boy's guitar lesson.

Mundane, I know. But exhausting nonetheless. Then hubs noticed what I was doing, and asked me whether it was worth all that effort. I almost screamed, "Of course it's worth it! The kids love it, it's important to celebrate friendship, blah blah blah....!" And he backed off. (He doesn't realize the intense pressure to keep up with the other moms for the best treat bag on the block. Seriously, at the holiday party, one of the moms, a lovely lady, took it to a whole new level with her gingerbread man shaped cheese sandwiches and cheddar stars ...).

While I don't like the commercialization of romance, I have no problem with the Valentine concept of celebrating friendship.

(So where is this all going? Oh yeah, back to Valentine's day. This is somehow coming back to the man...)

I think that the key to a good marriage is friendship. My husband is my best friend. He started out as a friend, before all the flirting and passion, there was the fun and the getting to know each other as people. As individuals.

I attended a high school reunion get-together last weekend. I had known about it for a while, but really didn't have any interest in attending. But because of recent events, I suppose it was natural for me to be feeling nostalgic, for me to look back at a time when I was younger, to a time when my parents -- my Dad, was very much a part of my life.

I wasn't sure whether people would remember me. Not only because I look so different now, but also because my last years of high school were spent as the female half of a couple that was conjoined at the hip. We were stuck together like glue... and I was one of those annoying girls who melded her personality and changed it to suit what her boyfriend wanted. Or what she perceived he wanted her to be. Such huge self-esteem issues at such a young age. Not unusual for a 16 or 17 year old. But sad, really.

It's hard for me to look back on that now. And I'm obviously no longer with my highschool sweetheart.

But my husband encouraged me to go to the function, meet up with old friends, and perhaps make new ones. He has always been like that with me. Encouraging me, supporting me, telling me to expand new horizons (and in this case old ones), and not to be nervous or fearful. Having confidence in me. A wonderful friend.

So I attended with my girlfriend; like old times we walked into the party alone, scanning the room for familiar (or almost familiar) faces. Most of the crowd I hung out with are no longer in town, but we found some old classmates, got busy catching up and before we knew it we had been there over three hours. It was fun and it felt good. Because even the people who remembered me however remotely, they talked to me ... about me.

And so this Valentine's Day, I salute all my friends, and give my deepest love to my most important friend of all, my husband, my lover, my partner.

Happy un-V-day hubs - I'll pass on the flowers but sharing the vino will be great...

1234

ONE

A busy girl from day one, exploring and always on the run...

TWO

A party girl, loving the pretty frocks, fancy hats and Dora-do

THREE

You love your jammies and your special bedfellows (especially Daddy and Me)

FOUR

Our special girl, who continues to bring love to our lives

and joy to our hearts,

with a smile that tells us that there's just so much more in store...

We love you Princess G.

Happy, happy birthday!

A Happy song for my happy girl...