Sleepwalking

Being the old more mature mommy that I am, I go to bed before my teenager...long before.  The other night while he was working frantically on a school project that no doubt was assigned a month ago but due the following day, I went upstairs, crawled into bed, watched a bit of TV and went to sleep.

Awhile later (although I have no clue what time) I heard my kiddo go to bed - it's difficult not to hear a herd of elephants rumble up the stairs and bang door after door shut along the way!  It seemed then like a lot of time passed (but I have no clue) when I heard him leave his room and go downstairs.  I rolled over to look at the clock to find it reading 1:50 am.  What the heck was he doing up at 1:50am??  I started thinking he might be sick, so I peeled myself out of my slumber and walked to the doorway to find him standing in the hallway at his bedroom doorway.  I hadn't heard him come back up so I just about peed my pants screamed at the sight of him.

When I could speak again I asked, "Are you okay?"  He replied, "Yes".  I asked "Are you just going to bed?"  He mumbled "no," and went into his room and closed the door.  It was a very weird exchange at almost 2 in the morning, but I figured if he wasn't sick or injured then all was well.

The following afternoon, he came home from school and asked "Did I talk to you last night?"  I said "Yes."   He started to laugh.  I said "Don't you remember?"  He then tells me that he was sitting in English class at school and suddenly had a vague recollection of me asking him if he was going to bed, him mumbling 'no' and then turning to go into his room.   He said he had no idea why he was out of bed, or where he went when he went downstairs.  Luckily I know he was only downstairs less than a minute because I'd heard him get up so I know he couldn't have gotten into too much trouble, but it looks like my boy is a sleepwalker.

Either that or he's setting up a nice defense for sneaking out of the house to meet a girl in the near future.  Nice.

Movies For Mommies

As I mentioned before, I had an adventure today.  I decided to be brave and check out the local theatre for Movies for Mommies.  Basically one or two movies each week are specifically for parents with babies.  This way you don't worry as much about interrupting or irritating other people if your baby fusses.

The movie playing today was The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon.  I was nervous to go - first of all I was by myself (well, with Little Miss)...seeing a movie by myself is not super comfortable for me.  Plus, what if Little Miss was super fussy and I couldn't calm her.  Of course I was able to talk myself out of this one by reminding myself that I would not be shackled to my seat.  If I needed to leave, the door would be there.  The final push came this weekend when my friend Juicy (not her real name of course, but her longtime nickname! hee hee) told me that when her little one was, well, little, she went to the mommy movies all the time and it was lots of fun.  She told me I could do it...so I decided to be brave!

I timed it well so that Little Miss would be due to nap at the time the movie started.  Unfortunately she fell asleep in the car and got a 15 minutes cat nap in.  I also ate a healthy lunch so I wouldn't be too tempted by the artery clogging but oh so delicious popcorn with butter.  Once there I got myself a drink, bypassed the food, and went to the theatre.

I was super impressed to see that right outside the theatre doors was a rather large table covered with soft baby blankets for a changing area.  Along the back edge of the table were stacks of free diapers in sizes ranging from 1 to 4, along with wipes, kleenex, rash cream and hand sanitizer.  You had me at hello!  I wanted to take a picture of this but waited until the movie was over at which point there were several naked babies on the table...rather than be arrested on the spot for taking inappropriate pics I decided to just get a picture next time!

Upon entering the theatre, I had my pick of seats...what a big decision.  Do I sit close to the door to make a hasty escape if need be? (I used to wonder the same thing on first dates)  Do I sit along the middle area with carpet in front of it to let Little Miss roll around on her blanket?  Maybe at the very back...nothing strategic here, I just like the very back.  In the end I decided to sit one row back in the middle section, and plopped the carseat down in the seat beside me.  I was surprised at how many other moms with babies arrived after I did...maybe 20 or more.  Many of the babies were younger than Little Miss - clearly it's easier to keep the tiny ones quiet.  Overall though she was pretty good.  I couldn't get her to sleep for quite some time - she drank her entire bottle and then played with her toys.  I alternated between having her on my lap or in her carseat.

In the early part of the movie there were a couple of crying babies.  The moms weren't super quick to take them out so I started off being a bit irritated (I know I chose to be there, but the crying just gets to you...especially when your own little princess is being so good!)  They did get up and leave for a couple of minutes, returning when their little ones had quieted which was nice.

After about 30-45 minutes Little Miss got a little whiny, so I picked her up and walked to the door to rock her.  After about 10 minutes of this she fell sound asleep for the rest of the movie!  Bonus!  All in all I would highly recommend this to anyone with babies...it was a great way to get out and do something different.

The one drawback was the fact that it cost almost $10.  It's not a huge amount, but considering there are crying babies now and then and you miss parts of the movie it would be nice if it were a bit cheaper.

Here's a pic of Little Miss and I just before the movie started - sorry for the crappy quality.

I can't wait to see what's playing next week!

Weigh In Wednesday

So the moment of truth has arrived.  I weighed in today and

Lost 1/2 a pound!

It's not much but I am happy considering I seem to have been plateaued for awhile!  The best part is that I also lost 3 inches!  Woo Hoo!!!  Yay for my Shred workouts!

So this week I keep on keeping on, move up to Level 2 of the Shred, continue to go for walks or run on the treadmill and make good food choices (Okay, I know carrot cake does not count as a serving of vegetables!)

Wish me luck and thanks for reading!  Today I am off for an adventure that I will tell you all about later!

Shred Update

Whew - just finished Day 9 of the 30 Day Shred.  Rather than hope that none of you reading this knows how to count, I will admit I took a couple of days off.  Saturday was supposed to be Day 8, and I started but wasn't feeling very well, and about 10 minutes into it I hit a wall.  I couldn't do another second, so I stopped.  Sunday was the baptism, so I knew I may or may not get a workout in...I did not.

Yesterday i restarted Day 8 and the couple of days off did me good...I blasted through it.  Don't get me wrong, I still got my butt kicked, but I felt much stronger than before and it's encouraging!  Today I completed Day 9.  This means that tomorrow is my last day of Level 1, and then I have to move to Level 2.  I'm scared.  I know it'll be hard but I also know I can do this!  I love to challenge myself and push myself to meet my goal of completing all 30 days.

On a very exciting note, I noticed today that what I refer to as my 'cake top' has now become more of a muffin top.  I am very excited.  Until now I have spent most of my waking hours in jammies, or yoga pants.  It was fine right after giving birth, but Little Miss turned 6 months yesterday, and it's about time I start wearing real clothes.  It feels good to have my clothes starting to fit me again.  I have a long way to go to fit into everything but I didn't gain it all in a week and I won't get rid of it that quickly either.  (Lord knows if I could I would!)

Tomorrow I weigh in and measure myself.  I have no idea if I've lost weight but I know I am losing inches - I can feel it!

Crumbies

After the baptism on Sunday we were absolutely exhausted. There was not enough food left from earlier in the day to justify not making dinner, unless I ordered my son to fill up on 36 olives and 14 chocolate cupcakes.

Being the good mom and wife that I am I knew I had to make sure that my boys were fed so I did what any good mom and wife would do. I made a healthy dinner ordered pizza.

This was the conversation with my dear hubby:

Me: I'm not cooking. Let's get pizza.
DH: Okay.
Me: Can you call?
DH: Sure. Do you want it from place A or place B?
Me: Sure.
DH: which place?
Me: (silly laughter)
DH: Or should I just look for the first pizza Menu I can find in the drawer?
Me: Use the second one you find.
DH: WHAT?!?
Me: Call Place B.
DH: Okay.

When the pizza arrived it was from Place A.  (After looking back at the conversation we had before ordering, I suppose I can let him off the hook for ordering from the wrong place.)


Lately we have been making an effort to eat all leftovers rather than throw them out, so last night, we decided to have leftover pizza.  Unfortunately I was not in the mood for pizza (Place A puts way too much cheese on it and too much cheese makes my tummy hurt).  Instead, I ate carrots. 

Well, okay, it was carrot cake.

Three pieces.  But in my defense they were very small pieces. 

Later I got on the treadmill for an hour and when I got off I was starving.  I hate eating late at night - it makes me feel yucky, but I knew I needed something.  I decided to make a piece of toast, and then decided to bring it to bed to watch TV.  As I went upstairs, my dear hubby called out "Make sure not to get crumbs in the bed." 

"Okay" I called out.  I would hate to sleep in toast crumbs - they would be scratchy and irritating.


Sooo  to make sure I didn't have to sleep in toast crumbs, I ate it on his side of the bed.  Shhh, don't tell.

Little Miss

We got our Little Miss baptized yesterday.  She was beautiful and so well behaved.  When the Deacon poured the water on her head, she just gazed up at him as if completely mesmerized.  She didn't cry at all through the whole ceremony, which was awesome - I guess torturing her by waking her at 6am worked!

We had a large crowd with us - approximately 25 family members and friends joined us.  Luckily there were only six children/babies being baptized yesterday.  The Deacon told us that last week there were ten, which would make for a very busy (and much longer) ceremony.

We had the family back to the house for some food and drinks - sandwiches, veggies, cheese, squares and cake.  Thanks to those who brought yummy treats! 




Some observations about the day:

When you serve punch, you must make sure to provide cups as well...
or at least provide a whole bunch of straws.

Babies don't care that they are all dressed up when they need to spit up (thanks to the Deacon who announced over the microphone "There's some throw up on her dress") 

Dogs are awesome after parties - they eat every single crumb on the floor...and even bits of wrapping paper.

That sticky, crusty spot I found on my daughter's head five hours later is from the squashed up Nutrigrain bar that the two year old was carrying around.

Godparents sometimes let the baby fall over on the table. (Don't worry, you're not fired yet.) 

Dogs throw up wrapping paper.

Family and friends are awesome!  We love you all so much!

Here are a few pics:

Monday Murder

Some people have green thumbs.  I am not some people.  My thumb does nothing for plants except hold open the garbage bag as I dump the dry, dead plant carcasses into it. 

I love plants.  Unfortunately, my love is smothering, like the way a small child may love a caterpillar so much that it eventually goes belly up to avoid being trapped in a kleenex box for one. more. day.

I have no idea where I got my non-green thumb from.  I used to say it was because my house didn't have many windows.  Unfortunately, in my new house I can no longer use that excuse.  I used to over water my plants, like a child feeds his goldfish hourly, until, yes, he floats to the top, stuffed but dead.

I didn't realize I was a chronic overwaterer until I had to throw several deceased plants out to the plant graveyard, and as I dumped out the pots, I found rotted roots and inches of water...hmmm.  I guess that means they were overwatered. 

Then, I erred on the side of caution and didn't water them until they were practically bent at the waist, scraping the carpet for bits of dog drool to quench their thirst. That didn't work either.

Now I try to water them every four to six days.  I have successfully kept this plant alive for 9 months...well, not totally successfully.  So I send out a plea to my mom (who says she still reads my blog!) 

 Please save him!

Cross Your Fingers

Today Little Miss gets baptized.  Last night dear hubby and I realized that with a regular 8am wake up for Little Miss, she will be ready for her nap at exactly the moment the baptism starts.  We imagined a wriggling, whining, red faced, angry, mess of a little girl who just wants a nap, and not getting her head dunked in front of onlookers.

We decided to try to tempt fate, and wake her early.  We woke the poor sleeping beauty at 6am.  Yep, parents of the year.

We are crossing our fingers that she will be ready for a nap by 7:30 or 8:00am, and that'll give her lots of time to get rested for her big day.  Murphy's Law dictates that she'll probably fight her nap and then end up like that kid in the exorcist for the rest of the day.  Head spinning at will and all.

Please please please nap!

Day 7 - 30 Day Shred

I woke up yesterday thinking "I hate you Jillian Michaels."  I was absolutely dreading my shred workout.  I love being active, but doing the same workout, tough as it is, every single day gets old, and dull and irritating.

Rather than take the day off, I decided to challenge myself by doing level 2.  I knew it'd be tough but at the very least it was a change.  Let's just say that today, I went back to Level 1.  :)  Level 2 was really challenging - I sweated like crazy, had a good workout, and it was fun to have a change of pace, but today I needed my regular pace back.

I still find Level 1 challenging enough and am fine to stick with it for the recommended 10 days before moving back up to Level 2.  I completed my workout today and feel good.  I am getting better at the pushups - today I did them all without any bad ones.  Mind you I still do the 'girl' pushups, but I did them all!  I am also practicing regular pushups at night.  So far I can do 1 without collapsing in a fit of breathlessness and giggles at the absurdity of it all.

Big weekend coming up - Little Miss is being baptized so off I go to clean the homestead for all of the ensuing company!

4 AM Haiku

Want to be sleeping

Instead of writing haiku

A bad one at that

That was for my sista, who apparently loves Haikus.  It never occurred to me before that someone could love Haikus.  I guess it should have since my dear hubby loves Limericks ..."There once was a girl from Nantucket..."

Anyways - I woke at 2 am when the baby cried.  She fell back asleep.  I did not.  Then I started craving juice.  I never drink juice, except the odd glass of orange juice if we go out for breakfast.  When my kiddo was younger I used to wake in the night and *need* a glass of juice.  It was weird but I would get out of bed for juice.

Tonight I got up, poured whatever reddish/purplish Fruitopia concoction was in my fridge, took one sip and decided that it was far too sweet and syrupy for my liking.  I debated putting water in it, then realized that I was probably better off with plain old water if I wanted to avoid being all hopped up on sugar and wanted any chance of getting back to sleep.  That was 2 hours ago so you can see how well that plan worked.

I guess I ought to go try to sleep since I certainly won't fall asleep on my computer.  Nighty night.

Technology And Other Stuff

Had some computer problems today but I am hoping they are solved.  My computer kept freezing up and I had to restart it several times.  Of course, having a teenager means that when I went to use the computer it was already frozen.  My dear son had been on it and then left to go downstairs...presumably right after it froze up on him.  Rather than let me know "Hey mom, there's somthing wrong with the computer", he just left it like that.  Normal stuff right?  Sheesh.

So I was super stoked to show my dear hubby you this and say

This is why you cannot wear my socks!

Yes that is a rather large hole in the side of my black sock.  I found it when I took off my shoe and my baby toe was poking out (I took that picture too but I really need some polish and a bit of sun so this is what you get!) 

 

I was going to gloat some more until I got home and found the following which is why my mommy never has to knit anything for me again.  Sigh.

Damn Dog!

You Use Your Toilet For What?!?!?

I read an article today about the fact that many Canadians use their toilets for uses other than the obvious.  I started off thinking that the article must be about freaks and couldn't help but wonder what bizarre uses toilets have.

Then I realized I was guilty.

The article talked about people who use toilets to dispose of hair, food and cigarette butts.  Well, I don't smoke but I have been guilty of flushing hair (after my self-haircutting benders).  I also occasionally use the toilet to dispose of leftovers that are too messy to put in the garbage and too chunky to go down the sink...think chunky soup...gross I know and I do it rarely but it seemed to be the best solution.

I started feeling bad as the article outlined the amount of water wasted by unnecessary flushes (between 3 and 20 litres depending on your toilet) and realized I'd never given it any thought before.  I do try to save water...I don't leave the water running while brushing my teeth or washing the dishes, I don't wash my driveway like some of my old neighbours, and I only wash my car once or twice a summer (well that might be out of laziness but it *does* save water!)

After reading the article and really looking inward at my eco-friendly desires, I have come up with a solution that will still allow me to use my toilet as an untraditional waste disposal system and will also be water conscious.

From now on, I will only flush my toilet once daily.  And I'll pee in the pool.

Whoa. Am I A Writer Now?

Hmmm.  I don't know the answer to this.  I've always thought of myself as a writer.  Well, a writer who didn't really write.  I remember in high school english class penning amazing, edge-of-your-seat stories that I was sure would eventually be published.  I look at some of those stories now and laugh at my teenage dream weaving.

I have recently found myself waking up in the middle of the night, thinking of funny blog entries; either past stories to tell or just weird inner workings of my mind at three in the morning while counting mountain goats trying to get back to sleep.

Of course I don't yet have a pen and paper by the bedside, so the pulitzer winning idea I have in the wee hours will remain there until the next time I wake in the night.

Sigh.

Happy Birthday!

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to my l'il sis who turned 29(+6) yesterday!

Clearly there are a lot of June cold snaps since I am also sending birthday shouts out to my cousin, my niece, my cousin's son and an internet pal all on March 22nd!

Whew!

Had a crap day yesterday so no posts!  Sorry.

I spent the entire day on the road attending appointments where folks clearly believe their busy lives are far more important than mine, and therefore I was an inconvenience.  Schleps!

I then forgot to weight in this morning...not sure it would have been good as I ate fast food yesterday and I am not used to all that sodium.  This morning I'm not feeling so hot (maybe the salt intake?) but I made it through my shred (took yesterday off due to being out all day).  Day 5 is easier in some aspects (cardio) but those pushups are killer.  I sort of half-ass some of them because my arms are so weak, but I'm going to keep at it!

More posts later...right now I ought to go shower before I scare off the neighbours!

Monday Memories

I thought it might be nice to tell you about one of my favourite memories with my kiddo from when he was about 6 years old.  It's a simple one but I love it.

It was the middle of summer and raining outside, more like a light drizzle but there was a rainfall warning in effect.  My kiddo and I had to run to Walmart to get something...I can't remember what it was, but probably something mundane like silly putty or duct tape.

As we went into Walmart, we walked at a normal pace, and we were looking up at the rain as it fell.  it was warm, not quite like a shower but close, and it started to come down a bit heavier.  Some people were running in, or pulling their shirts over their heads.  We thought that was funny, because the rain won't melt you!

Once we were finished at Walmart, we stepped outside to see that the rainfall was torrential.  It was coming down in sheets, and people were waiting under the covered sidewalk for it to let up.  My kiddo and I decided to brave it, and we walked again, feeling the rain hit our heads and faces, soaking through our shoes with each step.  We were giggling and having fun as we strolled to the car. 

I spied a giant puddle, and without warning I ran and jumped in it with both feet, soaking any part of my little guy that wasn't already soaked.  He gasped and then burst out laughing as he ran towards me to jump in as well.  There were no cars nearby and we spent about five minutes taking turns jumping in the puddle, covering ourselves in dirty ground water and laughing until our tummies hurt.

When we were done, we looked like drowned rats.  I glanced back and saw people looking at us from the covered sidewalk, probably wondering what psych ward we'd escaped from, or maybe wondering what kind of mother would let her kid do that.  Maybe they were wishing they could let down their guard enough to run and jump in the puddle too!

We both had to shower and change once we were home but he talked about that for years and we both still laugh when we remember how much silly fun it was!

I Will Find It...I Will

I am about to spend the afternoon searching my kiddo's room.  He has it and I will find it.  It's a manual that he must have hidden somewhere. 

The one titled something like "How To Irritate Yours Parents in The Least Amount of Time" or "The Teens Guide to World Domination, One Parent At A Time." 

I know he's got it.  Maybe under the mattress.  Maybe at the back of the closet.  Maybe in e-reader format, but he must have it.

Sometimes I wonder how I can see my normal, friendly, mature teenager morph into an alien being whose definitions of respect and personality are exchanged for defiance and nail-on-chalkboard-teeth-grinding irritation.

GAH!

Until I find and destroy the manual, I will maintain my distance from the alien being, lest I end up doing something that will result in me wearing an orange jumpsuit, spending 23 hours a day staring through bars and being very nice to a large, mean woman named Berta. 

Such Fun

I am so proud of my dear hubby who did the 30 Day Shred with me today.  Poor guy didn't know what hit him!

We got through the warm up alright but when we launched right into pushups...let's just say that he struggled by the end of the second set.

It was fun though and he made it through the whole thing, albeit stopping a little early, and then claiming that he thought it was finished.  Hee Hee Hee

Teenspeak? Gobbledegook!

My kiddo walked into the kitchen last night to happily announce than "Oofka" would be on tv.

"Oofka?" I asked.

"Yes, Oofka.  Sound it out Mom," he encouraged.

"What does it mean?" I asked.  He refused to tell me, telling me I needed to sound it out.

Me: "Oooofffkkaaa  Oooooooffffffkkkkkkkkkkaaaaa"

Kiddo: "You're not very good at this."

Me: "What does it meeeeaaan?" I whined.

Kiddo: Rolls his eyes as he says "UFC"

Me: "What?!?!?  UFC?  That is nothing like Oofka!"

Kiddo: "You don't know anything."

Sigh

Kiddo: "Ipple is also on, but you won't know what that is"

I didn't ask.  I may have to check my cable bill to see if we get charged for any 'special movies'.

You May Be Right...I May Be Crazy

I believe I may have told you I am sometimes crazy, obsessive, over the top?  If not, well, I am....sometimes.

I am starting to regret committing to doing 30 days of the 30 Day Shred, while training for a 10k run.  What the hell was I thinking?  On the plus side, I have 10 weeks to get ready for the 10k.  On the minus side, I haven't really run in almost 2 years...so I need that 10 weeks.

On the plus side, if I keep doing the Shred, I may be in better shape to run.  On the minus side...I have to do the Shred.

See my problem?

Ah well.  Today was day 2 of the Shred and it hurt a bit.  I think tomorrow will destroy me, but I'm gonna do it.  I ran today too, but won't tomorrow, so I can take comfort in that!

I may have bitten off more than I can chew, but only time will tell!

I Learned a New Game!

I love games.  I don't play them very often anymore but we used to do a family game night when my kiddo was younger and had a blast!  (Except of course when he got to choose the game...if I never see another Pokemon board game again it will be too soon!)

Today I learned a  new game and thought I would share for those of you who also love games!

The rules are as follows:

1. Have someone hand you something (it can be anything: a toy, a book, cutlery...you decide)
2. Pick up the item
3. Reach to the side and drop it to the floor
4. See how often the person retrieves it and hands it back to you.

Doesn't sound like fun?


This one is when I was told:

"Make one move lady, and the giraffe gets it."

And this is the floor during the game.

And now you have something to do on this lovely weekend! 

You're welcome!



Yum

Rarely do I get excited at a sandwich.  I like sandwiches, but today for some reason I was excited at my creation.  Maybe because I love fresh produce, and cutting a beautiful, ripe tomato or pulling off crisp lettuce leaves reminds me of being a kid with a giant garden out back where we would pull veggies straight from the ground, brush them off and eat them whole.  Or because the thought of oven roasted turkey, sliced so thin the pieces fall apart as you pick them up makes my mouth water.  Or because I was able to find my favourite kind of bread at the grocery store that often doesn't have it, and the whole grain goodness of sunflower seeds and flax is so fresh and squishy that I want to eat it straight out of the bag.

In any case, today I made a sandwich that excited me so much I debated pulling out some tapered candles, putting on some jazz music and savouring each bite. 

I settled for the TV and a diet coke but it was still sooo good!  I had to share!

And I am actually a bit sad that it is all gone.  But it was sooo yummy!

Shredded!

Whew.  I am determined to get in shape.  I was on the right path right before I got pregnant with Little J but it all took a backseat to a healthy pregnancy.  Now I am back on track and it feels good!

Today, it's a beautiful day but pretty windy, and I wasn't sure about another long walk, since our wind barrier for the stroller kind of sucks.  I decided to be brave and pull out the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD I bought a couple of years ago.

I say 'be brave' because I remember precisely what happened the last time the disc saw the inside of our DVD player.  I made it through approximately 10 minutes the first day before I conceded defeat.  The second day was a bit better...I think I did 15 minutes.  The third day I did the whole thing but was so sore that the DVD never saw it's fourth day.  That was it.

As I popped it in the DVD player, I was nervous...I knew it'd kick my ass.  And it did.  Halfway through I was silently begging Little J to get fussy and need me to stop.  I'm a good mom and my baby comes before Jillian Michaels.  But she didn't.  She was a complete trooper and forced me to complete the entire workout on my own, while she rolled around on her play mat discovering her toes over and over again.

On the plus side, I finished the whole workout!  Yay me!

I wonder if I can actually do 30 days of this?  I hadn't really thought of it until now, but if I did, that would be a cool accomplishment.  That's it...I'm gonna do it!  Thirty days of the 30 Day Shred unless of course my dear hubby plans an amazing surprise get away to the Caribbean (hint hint)...then I get a reprieve, but otherwise, I'm committed!  And terrified.

Cross Dressing

Last Friday my dear hubby and I attended a going away party for an aweomse ex coworker of his, who is moving to another city.  My hubby is a manager, one of two who attended, with all of the rest of the folks being subordinates.  This, however is generally not evident as they all get along great, but it does mean that my hubby must behave himself a little more than the others.

About an hour into the party, I happened to glance down and notice that my dear husband was wearing my socks.  MY socks.  Mine.

As with many things in my life, I am picky about my socks.  I love knee high, dark coloured socks for work or 'out of the house' stuff, or ankle length white or light coloured socks for working out or for around the house.   But there was my hubby, in my socks. 

I ask you

Do these look like boy socks?

I think not.

All of his dark socks are men's dress socks.  Only a couple have patterns and none look like this. 

I was tempted to point it out right then and there at the party to get a laugh, but didn't want his staff to think he cross dresses on Friday nights.  So I zipped my lip.  I did however make it clear when we got home that he needs to check the laundry more closely when he puts it away, as I would NEVER have put my sockies in his drawer.  Ever.

Today he comes home and tells me I might be mad at him.  "Why?" I ask.  "Because I wore another pair of your socks today," he sheepishly tells me while lifting his pant leg, to reveal a pair of my plain black knee high socks that, on him, only go calf high and are completely cutting off his circulation.  Ha!

Now in all fairness they do look a lot more like his socks than the others did, but come on!  I am very careful when I put them away, because I don't have many pairs of the black ones (they get holey and I trash them and I haven't been buying more since I'm not working these days and don't wear them often).

Seriously.  Who puts on someone else's clothes and doesn't notice?  (Well, my son wore my jeans once when he was 13...that was really, really funny!)  But really!  "Fine, you owe me four new pairs then," I snapped at him. 

He agreed.

Top O The Mornin (Afternoon) To Ya

What a glorious, beautiful day...the sun is shining and I took Little Miss on a very long walk.  I used my new Pedometer App (Pedometer FREE GPS+ by Arawella Corp) which was fabulous.  I am not entirely sure how exact it is but it's pretty close.  I walked 10749 Steps, which was 8.3km with an average speed of 6km per hour.  It uses GPS as well to be more accurate and, the best part, for you cheapskates like me...it's free!!! It has a music setting as well...it looks like you can upload songs right into it, but I just listened to the music on my ipod (on the phone) while I walked and they both worked together.  Fabulous!

Sorry there are no pics.  :(

But I can post one of my princess in her St. Paddy's attire

We went to the grocery store and sooo many people commented!  Then she promptly spit up on it when we got home...oh well, it was cute while it lasted!

And here's me - it's an old pic but I look a little St. Patrick-y!  Might indulge in a green beer later (I though of doing it now for the photo op, then knew I couldn't waste a beer, but felt like a bad mommy drinking while alone with the baby in the middle of the day...so this is all ya get!



I Love My Dentist

I have the best dentist in the world.  Seriously.  Several of my family members who go to him also feel the same way...one rents a car to get to him when needed and the other comes from a town 2 hrs away just to see him!

Somehow, in my life chaos of an engagement, a wedding, renting our house, buying another and having a baby I forgot to go see my dentist for three years...ooops!

So today was the day.  I also booked an appointment for my kiddo, since March break is the best time to have to get up early to see your dentist...right?  That's what all the other moms said. 

Anyways, we packed up Little Miss and off we went to see the hygenist Gina (also the best hygenist in the entire world!)

I went first while my son watched Little Miss, in a tiny waiting room with a mom and her three small girls, all curious about the boy with the baby!  Poor kid!  He was an awesome help though!

Although we were both told our teeth look great for three years having gone by, I have two areas that need work redone as it is quite old and wearing down, and he has a couple of small things to get done.

As we left, we each got our traditional goody bags.  Yes my dentist gives out loot bags.  Not just a free toothbrush.  Entire loot bags!  To everyone...even adults!

Here's mine:

A toothbrush, floss, soft picks and floss sticks!

Here's my kiddo's:

Yes.  I got soft picks and he got gum!  What the heck is that all about?!? 

Just kidding...I still love my loot bag!  And Dr. Chin.  And Gina.



Wednesday Weigh In

Well...it's officially week two and my loss this week is...

0 lbs

Sigh.

This sucks!  I was sooo excited to weigh in...in fact it's been killing me all week to not hop on the scale.  Oh well.  On the plus side I've been exercising almost daily, and it feels so good!  As well, if I'd been weighing daily, I'd probably be getting super discouraged by now, and while disappointed, I am not giving up!  

GASP

I am almost literally dying of heat here.  Yes, in the middle of a sometimes arctic country, in the middle of March I have woken up the last three nights feeling somewhat like I have entered the Miss Hawaiian Tropics contest.

Tonight, as reminisced not so fondly of the insomnia that plagued me through my pregnancy, the thought suddenly struck me...could the thermostat be set too high?  It didn't seem possible seeing as we generally have it set to be warmer through the day and cooler at night, but thinking about the last three nights, I thought it either had to be a thermostat issue, or I was going through some early and unwelcome changes.  Please let it be the thermostat!

I trudged downstairs half naked...or half dressed...(which one makes me sound more like glass half full optimism and less like the creepy neighbour without curtains on the windows?)

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the house temp had been overridden to maintain 23 degrees (74 farenheit).  That's balmy!  That's swimsuit weather.  That is NOT a nice temperature to sleep at for someone who likes to snuggle in my feather duvet.

I dropped the temp significantly, and decided to get a blog post in now at almost 3am while I wait for it to cool off lest I wake in the morning and have it all seem like a foggy dream...like the entire Newhart series.

Bananas!

I am not especially fond of bananas...I am quite happy to have one maybe once a year, unless I am running and then I try to have one after a run.  I just prefer my fruit to be a bit more tangy than blah.  That said, I will eat them without complaint (as long as they are not brown and spotty or green and hard...somewhere in the nice yellow, firm category please!)

A couple of years ago, dear hubby came home from his job as a banker, and proudly announced "I had a banana today!"  My reply was a confused "Oookaaay".  He then told me that he has never eaten a banana before.  Ever.  I looked at him with disbelief, but he was serious.  And I started howling...dying laughing at the thought that a man in his late thirties had never, ever eaten a banana.

So, I did what all good wives do when their husbands tell them something important...I called his mother.  As I recounted the funny story, she started to laugh and thanked me for reminding her of something.  When my dear hubby was a baby, his mom gave him a banana to hold, which most babies would probably squish a bit and taste and get messy and enjoy.  Not my big guy.  His whole body stiffened up and he began to shake from head to toe with what appeared to be disgust.  Yep - at six months old he was NOT having a banana. 

Thus, 36 years later he was able to proudly proclaim, "I ate a banana today," with a big, goofy smile on his face.

After I tired of making fun of him with his mom, I got off the phone and asked..."Did you like the banana?"

He replied "No, it was disgusting."  No more bananas for my dear hubby.

Soooo today I decided to see what Little Miss would do with a banana.

This photo was taken immediately following the look of disgust and immediately prior to her tossing it on the floor...guess she truly is Daddy's Little Girl.

Daycare Meeting

We are off tonight to meet with a potential daycare provider that we were referred to through a local agency.  It is unlikely we will actually go with this woman, as she is a bit farther than we prefer and not within our school zone.  It'll be awhile before Little Miss is in school but it's silly for her to be on a bus for 25-25 minutes when we live about 5 minutes from the closer school.  But...we figured it was worth going anyways.

As I was making a list of questions to ask her, I decided I'd blog about it, so I looked for a picture of a "crazy babysitter" to post in my blog. 

**Word of caution...do not Google the term "crazy babysitter pics" with small children in the room!  Eeeps!  Unless my dear Hubby is choosing our sitter, we'll be staying away from the scantily clad college coeds in those pictures!

I guess we want to avoid this

and hopefully get someone who will nuture and care for our Little Miss like family (or better!)




I did come across this picture and would probably want to avoid this too...

Although she kind of looks like she's having fun!

Anyhoo, gotta run and feed the kiddo before we go...wish us luck!

**Update**

We just got back.  The woman and her husband were very, very nice and if Little Miss went there we'd have no concerns about her safety or well-being.  That said, it is not as close as we'd like, and the neighbourhood is somewhat unsavoury.  We felt a little awkward when the husband asked if we'd eaten, and we said we were going to when we got home as we had a hot meal waiting (yummy chicken, rice and veggies).  He offered us their leftovers and we politely declined, thanking him very much.  He then got up and plated food for us and asked "Who's first?"  We both felt really badly but again declined (felt really rude but dear hubby and I are extremely picky and we really did have a nice meal waiting...awkward)

We are likely going to tell the agency no for now but indicate that we were comfortable with the woman, and if we can't find something closer to home we may call them back to see if she still has an opening.

Sunday Sillies

I spent some time today organizing the hundreds and thousands of photos clogging up my computer.  It was bad before, but since Little Miss came into our lives the cluttered photo file was overflowing.  I just wanted to share a couple of old pics I came across!

My kiddo hanging with the dog!

A 1920's Wedding we went to!

Best Halloween costume I have ever made!  It was a huge hit and my kiddo got way more candy than his friends!  He did have trouble sitting in the car though!  LOL

Cooper - He'd had just about enough and did not want his paws in the snow any longer!

Wishing you a fabulous week!

The Dark Ages

Friday afternoon our power went out.  I was a little frazzled as I'd committed to making 10 pounds of scalloped potatoes and meatballs for a get together.  Luckily the meatballs were cooked and just simmering in the slow cooker...the potatoes were not so lucky, as they lay sliced and washed in their pan waiting to bake.

Once I realized the power would be out awhile, I took Little Miss up to the family room to relax.  My 16 yr old kiddo walked past and asked
"What am I supposed to do?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"There's no power - what am I supposed to do?"
I laughed and suggested "Why not read a book?"
He smirked and replied "No"
"Why not watch a movie on your personal DVD player?"
"No"
"Okay, you could read a sports magazine."
"No"
At this point I laughed as I realized he had no idea how to entertain himself without electricity.
"How about cleaning your room?"
"I did yesterday," he replied (and he had)
"Play on my iPhone"
"Naw"
"Walk the dogs"
"No"
The whole time he was saying no, he had a half smile on his face as if he were enjoying shooting down every single idea I threw at him.
"Have a snack"
"I just did"
"Hmmm" I glanced around the room and saw the camera.  "Why not take some pictures?"

"Okay" he said.  Wow!  Then he spent ten minutes taking picture after picture of me feeding Little Miss her bottle.  Here is a sample.

This is a more flattering one.  There were many too hideous to share as I stared a death-stare into the zoomed in camera lens.

Once Little Miss was finished eating, my kiddo and I played a dice game which was fun.  Halfway through the game, the power came back on.  He jumped up and shouted "Later!" and he was gone.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

(PS: The potatoes were a hit!)

Scattered Thoughts

Dear Mr. Snowplow driver:
It didn't snow yesterday and there is no snow on the ground.  At all.  So was it really necessary to scrape the ground repeatedly at 4:19 am, and then reverse while your plow went "beep  beep  beep beep" over and over and over?  I finally got up to call the city to complain but by then you decided you'd had enough fun waking people up and off you went on your merry way.  Jerk.

Dear Dear Hubby:
I know we don't have a king sized bed, and it's never been a problem before, but is it necessary to flatten yourself across two thirds of the bed like a pancake?  Maybe I was just irritated with Mr. Snowplow  but it sure seemed like you were trying to overtake the bed and knock me to the floor with the dog.

Dear Tim Hortons:
My biggest pet peeve these days is poor customer service, and I must say that our trip through your drive through for coffee this morning was interesting.  Your staff member was so cheerful and perky, almost bubbling out of her skin, and we couldn't help but smile and laugh.  She was a bit over  the top, but it was a great way to start the day!  Thank you!  (and I won a coffee on Roll Up The Rim so that was an added bonus!)

A Moment For Japan

I just wanted to take a moment to send out my thoughts and prayers to those in Japan or affected in some way to the devastating events that took place today.  Watching the footage is almost incomprehensible and I hope the rescue efforts happen quickly for those injured or trapped.

Discovery

I have realized something in the last couple of days and am kind of 'in awe' of how my mind works.  The crazy part I mean.

I can be a bit obsessive...I know I've said it before but I just wanted to make sure you remembered!  In the past when I have decided to try to lose weight, I have been very disciplined with my eating and exercise.  Through many years I have learned that I am an 'all or nothing' kind of girl.  This works well when it's 'all' for me.  For example, if I am trying to lose weight or get healthier, I strictly monitor my food intake, I eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and lean protein, limit white carbs and can easily pass on desserts and sinful treats.  At the same time, I exercise almost daily, whether it's walking or running outside, doing the same on my treadmill, or finding a seasonal physical activity to do.

It all sounds very good, and it is, except while I am doing all of this healthy stuff, I am also weighing myself daily.  I like weighing daily, and when I go 'hard core healthy' the daily results on the scale are fabulous.  The problem comes when those daily results no longer show fabulous results.  It starts when my weight stays the same, or gasp, goes up temporarily...in the short term I am generally disciplined enough to keep going on my healthy road, however eventually, it gets me down.  I might have a slip up, and then choose not to weigh the next day.  This might happen once or twice, and then I just stop meeting my scale for our daily appointment.  Yes I am fickle.

This time around, in trying to lose baby weight and beyond, I am committed to only weighing on Wednesdays...and I am enjoying it!  I will be honest - I fight the urge every single morning to get on the scale to just 'take a peek' at my progress, but so far I have been successful.  I am hoping that what this will do is negate the odd slip up (I mean come on, I gotta live!) and keep my motivation up longer.  Time will tell I guess!

The Neighbours Must Hate Us!

We just moved into our house in June and I am convinced the neighbours must hate us!  The family that moved out had two teens but no pets.  We have a teen, a baby and two big old dogs.  Our dogs don't bark all the time but if they see a neighbour in their own yard, it's like they are defending their country, barking in the most intimidating, loud, persistent way!

In the winter it's not terrible mainly because the neighbours take refuge in their homes.  I know once spring comes we'll go back to the early morning, afternoon and late night barks.

Today, the neighbours got the added pleasure of a dog fight...a real, honest to goodness dog fight, complete with snarling, leaping dogs, and me standing in the doorway, hair all askew, wearing threadbare jammies and slippers screaming at them to stop.

Yep.  They hate us.

Canine Incisor Molar Oh My!

Ah yes we have entered the wonderful world of teething!  Those tiny little pearly whites are close to coming in and my little princess wants to make sure we know it!

Here is what the average baby's mouth will look like once all of their teeth come in:

Right now the thought of going through this TWENTY TIMES!!?!#?!  is a wee bit overwhelming!

She's been drooling like a leaky faucet since December, but in the last week the faucet has been opened and she's salivating like a dog who sees a nice, big juicy steak!  Everything goes to her mouth and if she can't lift it she just brings her head to the item...wait, she doesn't just bring her head to it, she launches herself at it with a mouth so wide you could fit a Big Mac into it!

She is also fussy.... if fussy means screaming at the top of her lungs like she's a mad woman on the loose. The screaming is a mix of a pain scream, which is sad to hear, and the "I'm so angry with you I want to rip your head off just for fun" scream, which sometimes makes me chuckle just a tiny bit.  (Just a teeny, tiny bit, I swear!)

We have a numbing agent like this  but it is now being recommended against by some doctors.  As parents of a tiny being who is sometimes in excruciating pain, we decided to try it anyways...to no avail.  Poor Little Miss continues to be in pain.

After hearing so much about this somewhat costly teething toy, we shelled out the cash however so far it has seemed more like an expensive dog toy.  I am holding out hope that Little Miss will soon enjoy chewing on the Sophie Giraffe's rubber legs and head, but thus far she holds it for a moment and then flings it to the ground.  This does nothing for her teeth.

I've heard many moms talk about Amber teething necklaces.  I absolutely cannot figure out how they would help but many moms swear by them and that's good enough for me.  As soon as I can get my hands on one I will be trying it out  to see if it reduces the shrieks.

Teething tablets are another thing I have heard about but not yet tried.  I am not sure if they are even sold in Canada...but if they are, I will find them!

"They" say that the first two teeth are the worst and the rest get easier for moms (and babies too of course!) and I can't honestly remember when my son was teething almost 16 years ago, so the scars must not last forever, but right now I'd be okay skipping the teeth and fitting her with mini dentures.

Weigh In Wednesday!

Today is my first Weigh in Wednesday!  And the results are....

- 2.5 pounds!

Wahoooooo!

Best. Baby. Toy. Ever. (so far!)

Lamaze Princess Sophie Play and Grow Doll

Little Miss got one at a baby shower and it went in a basket with all of the toys she got from her amazing family and friends.  We've been introducing them to her as she grows and so far she hasn't shown a whole lot of preference for any of them...except this one.  This seems to be the one toy so far that she just loves - the dress crinkles and she seems to enjoy the sound.  The 'crown' crinkles a bit and is extra thick material, so she chews on it.  The feet are soft material and lately they go almost all the way into her mouth.  There is a ring toy on the front that, while she hasn't shown much interest in yet, sure makes it easy to hold onto.  And finally, it hangs on a plastic ring that can help attach it anywhere, or be used as another 'handle'.  We literally don't leave home without Princess Sophie.

Teen Ruins Porsche

I read this article last spring and just found it again and had to share...Click Here for article.

I was stunned when I saw the $180 000 Porsche halfway through the garage door.  All I can think is thank god I don't have $180 000! ;)

Shrove Tuesday

Or as we call it PANCAKE TUESDAY!!!! 

I was a bad mom today - I slept until my dear 16 year old was walking out the door to go to school so he didn't get pancakes.  In all fairness if I had remembered it was pancake Tuesday, I would have gotten up to make them.  But I didn't.

So that means dinner tonight is pancakes with some fruit on top...mmmmm so tasty!  I love using frozen strawberries thawed in the microwave so they're warm...the juice makes a bit of a syrup and the berries are so yummy on the pancakes. 

I tried to make blueberry pancakes once and the pancakes all turned an unappetizing bluish/grey colour...and if you didn't eat them fast they started to leak blue juice.  It was weird.  I used to make chocolate chip pancakes for my kiddo but stopped when he would bounce off the walls for an hour or two afterwards.

Tomorrow Lent starts and I have to decide what to give up.  Strangely, I am not actually christian, having never been baptised.  That said I went to a Catholic elementary and high school, and my son is baptised so every year I try to give something up.  This year it will be...hmmm...I want to say chocolate but am not sure that I could do it.  I have until tomorrow to decide so I guess I'll have to give it some thought!

Bad Mom Alert

I was watching The Talk on CBS this afternoon and they started discussing parents having drinks while their kids are having play dates.  I had to laugh as I remembered one of my son's playdates when he was younger.

My sister, dear Hubby and I were having a couple of drinks and chatting one Saturday afternoon in my living room.  My son was outside playing street hockey as he always did from morning until night, and I checked on him from time to time to make sure he was okay.  The door bell rang, and I got up to answer it wondering who it could be as I wasn't expecting anyone.

There was a strange woman at the door, smiling at me.  As she introduced herself and said "I'm Jason's mom", my mind raced wondering 'who the heck is Jason?'  Instead of saying this out loud, I said "hi" and smiled.  She said "Thank you for letting Jason come over to play."  Aha!  I had never heard of Jason and had no idea what he looked like but suspected that if I looked outside I'd see my son playing with another boy who would probably be Jason.  I also knew that if I asked my kiddo, he'd tell me that he invited Jason over without asking or discussing it with me first...gotta love 7 year olds.

So I was in a predicament.  Do I honestly tell this smiling woman that I have no idea who Jason is and he most certainly wasn't invited by me?  Of course not.  I just pretended.  I said "Oh, no problem", not knowing exactly how long Jason was staying, whether I had to feed him or if he had brought a suitcase for an extended visit while his parents cruised around the world. 

I had had only 2 drinks but suddenly wondered if she could smell alcohol on my breath and wondered what kind of woman would invite kids over to play and then start drinking.  If she had that thought it apparently didn't worry her much because she then turned and left, leaving her little Jason on my street with a goalie mask on.

As I turned from the front door area, I saw my sister and dear Hubby almost rolling on the floor laughing, telling me how obvious it was that I had no clue who this woman or Jason was, and laughing harder at the fact that the woman left her precious cargo with the clueless, tipsy woman.

OMG

Whew...just got off my treadmill (after forcing myself off my a$$).  I had planned to run 30 minutes, and was doing alright, however suddenly the dogs started barking.  I turned off my music to listen to really listen to the baby monitor (it also has lights that light up when Little Miss cries, but I thought maybe I'd missed them).  I could hear both dogs barking and that was it.  Okay, I was a bit spooked but thought I'd just finish the last couple of minutes with my music off.  Then I heard a man's voice say "Hello".  I immediately turned off the treadmill, and hoped it was Dear Hubby's voice since he had appointments out of the office today...maybe he came home to surprise me.

I waited to see if I heard anything else...nope.  So I called out "Hello", while clutching my phone in my hand ready to dial 911 any second.  No reply.  Now I am terribly spooked, thinking of the fact that the garage door is right near me, but the baby is two floors up and I'm not leaving without her.  I looked around for a weapon but couldn't find anything (despite the fact that the workshop with a lot of very sharp tools was steps away!)

Finally I made my way slowly up the stairs, clutching only my phone and baby monitor...maybe I could poke the intruder with the antenna...the dogs weren't barking anymore.  Great - this means one of two things: there either is no intruder and I am spooked for nothing, or the intruder loves dogs and my big dopey dogs have taken a liking to the guy who will soon bludgeon me to death.  Apparently my imagination was working overtime on this one!

The good thing is there was no intruder!  Yay!  The bad thing - there's no way on earth I am going back on that treadmill in the basement today!  Oh well...there's always tomorrow!

On another note, I decided to share a few of my absolute fave songs to run to:

Gloria - Laura Branigan...cheesy but it has a great beat
Bounce With Me - Kreesha Turner...love it!
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani - makes me run harder
See You Again - Miley Cyrus - Lame I know but it's got a great running beat

Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head that get me moving and generally get me smiling.  :)

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

After days and days of Little Miss *almost* rolling from her back to her belly, she finally went over yesterday!  Both dear Hubby and I were there to see it which is fun, but I think we might be in trouble now!  She's mobile.

Little Miss likes to hang out on a big blanket on the floor, so this morning I had her on the floor with her toys.  I looked down to check email for less than a minute and found her three feet away like this:

Yep.  Stuck in her play mat bars.  Hmmm, on second thought maybe that's not so bad...it'll contain her a bit longer!  Who needs baby gates when you have bars!

Sunday Sillies

Ah The Good Old Days...

When I was little, my dad used to like to torture tease me.  One of his big 'tricks' would be to bring some peanut butter into the bathroom without us knowing.  He'd wipe the peanut butter onto a handful of toilet paper, and then come out to "show" us what he had done.  We'd run shrieking, and he would chase us in circles around the house.  Of course he never caught us...he just liked the chase!

Kudos

I have to hand it to single parents out there!  Especially single parents of little ones...holy cow I'm beat!  I took Little Miss to my Auntie's place 2 hours away.  She screamed in the car, would NOT nap and then would not go to bed at night.  She had giant bags under her little eyes and was so tired but she fought it so hard!  I finally got her down, and she was wide awake at 1:30am!?!  So Auntie took her and played with her/sang to her for over an hour.

We had a fun visit though!  I went shopping and bought way too many baby clothes

Actually Carter's had $5 racks so I stocked up on some outfits for next winter.  Money well spent to get things that cheap! 

I did splurge on a couple of cute outfits for this summer too!

Had an awesome dinner (thanks Auntie & Uncle M) of grilled chicken, stir fried veggies and greek salad...and a wee bit too much wine!  Of course as we traipsed up to bed at 1:30 am Little Miss decided to wake up so my Auntie hung out with her for over an hour!

All in all a good time.

So Flippin Tired

I worked from 4-6pm tonight and I cannot believe how exhausted I am! 

Going out of town tomorrow so probably no posts!  But I promise to have more juicy stuff when I return!  Or just more pics of the inside of my cupboards...that's always entertaining.

Busted

Last night, while chatting with my dear Hubby, we somehow got onto the topic of our cereal cupboard (we're married, what can I say?)  He told me that we have 12 boxes of opened cereal.  I laughed.  Twelve boxes?  Ya right.  He insisted that he wasn't exaggerating.

This morning I went to pour some cereal and found that he was exaggerating.  I *love* being right.  Although in this case I am still a bit embarassed by what I found.

Now, if you don't count the oatmeal, you will clearly see there are only eleven (that's right dear Hubby, eleven!) opened boxes of cereal.  Ha!  So you did exaggerate.  I love being right!

Of course if you count the oatmeal, it's 15 but we who's counting?

Sooooo I guess we're having cereal for dinner.

**Edited this post to say that as I walked away from the computer I remembered we are completely out of milk!  No wonder we have so much cereal.**