Just as my mother suspected, good things come in threes.

1) A few days ago J-L spoke to his mechanic and discovered that it would probably cost us about $1,000 to fix our van. Boohoo. But, then yesterday, J-L (and his van) met with our mechanic and discovered it won't cost NEAR that amount. Woohoo.

2) We got our MPI (for those not in Manitoba, this is our automobile insurance) rebate cheques. A little treat this year.

3) I just renewed my autopac. However, for some odd reason, this year they reviewed my account a little more closely and discovered that they'd mischarged me years ago. I spent some time out of province and during that year and a half I was due a merit and they forgot to give it to me. Well, la-di-da. They adjusted my numbers back that far and instead of my car insurance costing me $852 this year it's only going to cost me $141. Tee hee.

Seriously, I've got the best life EVER.

Today, Peanut and I went for a 3 hour walk. Outside. In the sunshine. Well, okay, we stopped for a sit-down for a moment or two. But the rest of it, walking. And napping (her, not me). And then we came home and laughed together on the bed. I hope someday when I'm feeling blue I can remember back to that moment. Seriously, we were laying on the bed making each other laugh. I can't believe that she already recognizes that she loves to make me laugh. At. 6. Months. Wow.

Some Susan Werner lyrics (my current life theme song) come to mind:

MAY I SUGGEST
May I suggest
May I suggest to you
May I suggest this is the best part of your life
May I suggest
This time is blessed for you
This time is blessed and shining almost blinding bright
Just turn your head
And you'll begin to see
The thousand reasons that were just beyond your sight
The reasons why
Why I suggest to you
Why I suggest this is the best part of your life

Questions.

1) If I go out for the evening and Abby naps the entire time can that really be considered a break? I should get another one, no?

2) When we were walking through the park on Sunday we saw a gang (as in group, not hoodlums) of Harley Davidson driving people. And I just wondered how that comes about. Do they have a group contact list on their email system and every Sunday someone sends out an email saying where they are going to meet this week and where they're going to drive? Thinking about some long-haired, leather-wearing person typing up an email like that makes me smile.

3) Last night as I was driving home I got completely cut off in traffic and I found myself looking around for support from the other drivers. As in, "Did you SEE that?" Am I the only one who does this?

4) Have you ever been shaving and thought "man, these 3 blades are just NOT enough."? How far will they go? Exactly HOW many blades is the right amount?

What you can do when your daughter's napping and you don't feel like doing anything constructive.

Go here and find out what celebrity you look like. Apparently they base it on face structure and blah, blah, blah. However, I tried twice with VERY different results. Apparently a haircut and glasses changes my face structure dramatically. With the short hair it tells me I look like Emma Watson (of Harry Potter fame) and Robert Redford (if I'm to be told I look like any man on the planet I'm QUITE okay with it being RR.) And with the long hair it says Carrie Underwood (of American Idol fame) and Tom Hanks (and if you don't know who that is I don't even know how to help you).

Correction to the previous post.

I would just like it to be known that my husband was NOT giggling as mentioned earlier. He was rather laughing in a hearty and manly way and was in no way doing anything that could be construed as gay as "giggling".

Well, that was fun.

The three of us went on a bit of a road trip the last couple of days. Thoroughly enjoyable. It's so lovely being off work so that I (we) can travel with J-L when he goes on the road. Some highlights:

- 10 deer
- 2 moose
- 1 beaver
- the dark blue lakes of northwestern Ontario
- barefeet, window open
- peeking back on our babe every once in awhile. She travels (thus far) like a DREAM.
- Abby's first time in a high chair at the restaurant. Where has the time gone? :-)

- listening to our wedding dance cd.
- giggling our way through songs we made up using roadside signs.
- coming home and not having to think about what to make for supper thanks to Heather and Marcel's invite.
- but, by far the biggest highlight (and this will only mean something to those who know one of Abby's nicknames) of the trip:






Bad photo as it was the last on the roll and didn't quite make it as a result.

It is finished.

I'm your beloved

Your creation

and you love me as I am

You have called me chosen

for your people

Unashamed to call me your own

I'm your beloved

- Mercy Me; Your Beloved

Hmmm.

Maybe this is why I enjoyed lemonade so much while I was pregnant. Who knew?

D.E.A.R.

Sorry, Beverly and Ramona, we're a few days late. Happy DEAR day nonetheless, all.

Thanks for not fitting into my stereotypical view.

1) Thank you, teenage boy with the long, unkempt hair and the straggly pants. Thank you for holding the door open for me and my daughter. Your mother would be proud. I was especially impressed as your friends walked in first, ignoring me and my full hands and yet you waited - even took a step back to indicate your kindness. I am smiling still.

2) Thank you elderly gentleman with the grey hair, suspenders and languid pace. Thank you for letting me glimpse into your grocery basket. Thank you for the surprise at seeing you contemplating the cake decorating section. You were probably buying the ingredients for your wife or daughter's use but in my imagination you are taking it home to decorate a special cake for your wife of 50 years and that makes me smile with delight.

Lost in Translation.

"Let go!" said in a stern voice translates into "clamp down tighter and give Mom a big smile while doing so".

I am sooo dreading teeth.

Dream a little dream with me.

50 Best Restaurants in the World Named.

If I had limitless amounts of cash I would take that list, laminate it (he, he, a la Ross) and make it a goal to visit each of those restaurants in my life. Wouldn't that be fun? Seriously, it would combine my love of food, my love of travel and my love of adventure all at the same time. Anyone want to join me?

Australia, South Africa, Brazil... oh my!

Employment

Turns out my old company wants me back. They know I’m still on maternity leave for another 7 (only?) months but they’re still wanting to talk to me to see if I’m willing to come back. I’m just not sure how I feel about this. I mean, above anything, it’s very nice to be wanted. It’s nice to have left a place on good terms. Pros and cons with both options of this decision. I’ve been thinking about it a LOT and am no closer to a decision than I was when they first threw it out there. Thankfully, I don’t need to make the decision today. For right now my CEO/supervisor/boss is sitting on my lap looking up at me with her big eyes. Everyone should be so lucky.

Three things

1) The natural/homeopathic nose drops? Soooo didn't work for me.
2) Lying on the bed on my back with my head hanging over the side of the bed while my daughter screamed? Yeah, made me feel like a drug addict ignoring my daughter trying to get my next hit.
3) It appears that Peanut has now caught my cold. The cry? Sad. The coughs? Miserable. The runny nose? Dismal. But the most heart-breaking of all: The Look she gives me that says "Mom, is there nothing you can do for me?"

If all else fails.

I feel as though I'm coming out of the fog. The sinuses still ache, my lungs still feel like sandpaper and my nose is still a faucet but I'm feeling like there may be a light somewhere soon. And, for lack of anything more interesting to post, I give you this:














Thanks for the dress, Uncle Brad.

As is a keyboard within reach.

o = j b bn b g 6pu9y h u,8;oh

In case you were wondering

A Kleenex shoved up your nose to stop the relentless dripping is completely irresistible to 5 month old tiny fingers.

It's the little things

You know, I never seem to think to be thankful for the little things [eg. the ability to swallow without the feeling of shards of glass mangling my throat] until they're gone.

DST in 2007

Next year, daylight savings time starts earlier and ends later. Which got me wondering a couple of things:

1) Who decides this? Is there a DST committee? If so, what do they do most of the time? If not, who has the right to mess with our clocks?

2) How exactly did the discussion come up? "You know what would be fun? You know how people are always struggling with the time change? ‘Is it the first Sunday in April or the last Saturday in March? Do we go ahead an hour in spring or is that in fall?’ Well, let’s mess them up even MORE! Any ideas?"