Thursday, August 31, 2006

Thursday Thirteen

I've been meaning to jot some of these down anyway as I'm afraid I'll start to forget some of them otherwise. So, may as well make a list of them.

Thirteen Things About Abby (at this point in her life)

1. She likes to go places. Yay! Nearly 100% of the time if she's in my arms and I go to open the door to go out she gets excited.

2. (tied to #1) She loves to be outdoors. She may have had a cranky day but if I take her outside and plop her in the stroller she's as happy as can be.

3. She likes every vegetable we've given her but she does NOT like rice cereal. Can't say I blame her; tastes like crap to me too.*

4. She does NOT like to sit (or lay) still while nursing. I was watching another mother nurse the other day and I marveled at how the child just lay there peacefully. She hasn't done that in months.

5. She enjoys bossing us around. (Please no comments about how the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.) She gets a very loud, demanding voice and often emphasizes it with a fist pounding on the table.

6. She has a fake cough. She's had it for as long as I can remember. Silly girl.

7. She likes baths. Always has.

8. She has a favorite stuffed animal that represents sleep to her. I'm sure this was our doing but it's very handy when we want her to go down for a nap. Oftentimes if we hand her this stuffed animal she grabs it with both arms, rolls over and falls asleep.

9. When she's tired she rubs her ear.

10. She likes Jon Stewart (much to my husband's chagrin). For some unknown reason, when I'm sitting to watch The Daily Show and Jon Stewart comes on the screen she smiles.

11. She often crawls on her tiptoes, without her knees touching the floor.

12. She prefers sleeping alone. She does still sometimes sleep with us but that's usually after a whole lot of flailing and tossing about (on her part). When she's in her bed alone, she rarely tosses and turns.


13. She likes to drive motorcycle. It started with a motion she would do with her hands and now she has added a sound to it. Video can be seen here. (Sorry, I can't figure out how to rotate the video on YouTube.)

* Even the pear/mango/pineapple version tastes like crap. Frankly, I can't even taste pear, mango OR pineapple in it. Basically we can only get her to eat it when it's mixed with yogurt.

#140






Since December 1994 a friend and I have been going out for supper once a month. Nothing too unusual about that. Except, in a way there is. This was never just a casual "hey, we should go out for supper once a month" kind of thing that many people think of and then never do. Or do every couple of months or think about it or... This was every single month for the past 11.5 years. And we had one main rule. It had to be a new restaurant. For both of us. Which means, in that time we have tried out 140 new restaurants that this city* has to offer. And NO, that did NOT include chains of any sort.


During this time we have gone through a lot of changes. When it all started, we were roommates. Since then we both lived alone for awhile and now we're both married. And now one of us is in for a big change. And it's not me. She's off to Ireland for the next 2-3 years. And we will put our outings on hold. Hopefully we've just pressed pause and it will resume as soon as she gets back. Hopefully.

Last night was our last kick at the can. Both physically and emotionally exhausted from stuff going on in our lives we gathered. And shared. And ate. Comfortable. Familiar.

I will miss this monthly outing. I will miss frantic emails back and forth arranging times that suit us. I will miss asking nearly everyone I know if they've tried any new restaurants. Anything they'd recommend.

Bistro 7 1/4
I'll try to remember to keep track of new restaurants for you, Wendy, and perhaps we may even have to try one in Ireland one day.


*Well, a few outside of the city including one in Sydney, Australia when we were there together.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Scattered

In 2 months I go back to work.
In 2 months I go back to work.
In 2 months I go back to work.

My brain feels like Bart Simpson writing and rewriting that phrase. Oh buzzing, busy brain. Please rest from your worry. So much to think about. So much to process. So many changes at my job that have left me with nagging doubts about going back. What does it all mean for me? Do I stay? Do I go? Do I look elsewhere?

Buzzing.
Busy.
Active.
Nonstop.

Of the four parts of a Myers-Briggs personality type the one I am the strongest in is "T". Forever "T". Constantly thinking. Constantly processing. Constantly analyzing. It's hard to turn it off - especially at a time like this. It's hard to hold conversations with all the noise in my brain. It's hard to verbalize what flits by from one moment to the next.

But then, for brief moments I do turn into an "F". A giant, mushy feeler that touches her daughter's hair as she sleeps and agonizes at the thought of leaving her with someone else for the daytime hours.

And now with the tears. So I head to bed with the "T" and the "F" fighting inside me.

Weeping, exhausted, overworked brain.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Inane post.

Today, I am wearing a dress.

Ahh.

This is the third time this year that I have worn a dress. Let me tell you, I have missed my summer dresses. Two summers in a row I haven't been able to wear them (rather pregnant last summer). And believe me, I am all about the comfortable, loose, cotton summer dresses. But, alas, nursing is just a LOT easier in a 2 piece. And so, I have had to make do with my summer skirts instead. Enjoyable but I do get a bit blue seeing my dresses gathering dust in my closet.

Wanna know how silly I am about them? Yesterday, when my husband asked me when I wanted to start trying for number 2 the first thing out of my mouth was "definitely not until after next summer". I know, how selfish and silly of me but whatcha gonna do?

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen thoughts/moments from the past 4 days.
1. I have personal space issues. Having a baby has messed with those to a certain degree. Taking a baby to an event with a bunch of children messes with those issues in a huge way. Children love babies. (Not all but in a group of 27, quite a large percentage.) And love to surround me while I'm holding my baby. It's all I can do to remain calm and not shriek "back off" at a moment's notice.


2. Sometimes after doing something you don't excel at (translate: kind of suck at) it's nice to do something that you're very good at to regain some self-esteem. (Not ready to share the whole story.)

3. Sometimes, comparing your result to someone else makes you feel confident and superior. Sometimes, it makes you feel inferior and completely hopeless in the "why am I fooling myself into thinking I'm good at this?" kind of way. (eg. looking at wedding photography websites.)

4. Did you know that Winnipeg has the most number of female firefighters of any city in North America?

5. The next female firefighter?
Maddie

6. Having lunch with a childless friend who intends on remaining childless is the perfect moment (sarcasm intended) for The Kid to act out in ways she's never acted out before thus reinforcing said friend's belief system.

7. Homemade soft pretzels are delicious.

8. Homemade soft pretzels dipped in honey mustard are even better.

9. Dealing with a grouchy child for an entire day can be exhausting.

10. Taking 2 hours off from dealing with a grouchy child only to find out that she slept peacefully the whole time she was with her father can be aggravating.

11. I have a cold. I'm tired of blowing my nose.

12. Abby played strange for the doctor today. Interestingly enough, the doctor said it was a good thing. Apparently one of the first things they notice about abused children is that they are willing to go to anyone and don't ever play strange.

13.
Being weighed
Weight: 18 lbs.; 3.5oz (38th percentile)
Height: 31" (97th percentile)

Monday, August 21, 2006

Well, that was just what I needed.














The last three movies I've seen were:

Superman Returns

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
and
Miami Vice

To say that I was in dire need of an indie-film is an understatement. Well, I got what I needed last night. Mmm, did I ever! What a delight.

- A failed motivational speaker of a dad
- A tired chain-smoking mother who's trying to keep the family together
- A heroin snorting, porn-loving grandfather
- An anti-social, Nietzsche-loving teenage son
- A suicidal number-one-Proust-scholar uncle
all held together by a slightly awkward pageant loving daughter and a VW van that needs to be parked on a hill in order to operate.

Ahh.

I'd go see it again in a second.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Sunday

It's Sunday today. One of my favourite days. A day that most weeks is filled with family, community, worship.

Seems so apropos that on a day like this, filled with warmth and comfort, I should start a book that begins thus:

There had been no words for naming when she was born.

She was "Girl Owens" on the stamped paper that certified her birth, and at home, she had just been "Sister", that was all. When asked to decide, at five, what she would be called, she had chosen "Sunday," time of voices, lifted in praise.

Methinks I just might like it.

Back to my cozy spot then.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Why?

When I should be sorting the laundry or putting together a grocery list... am I reading blogs instead?

Friday, August 18, 2006

I KNEW I left the room too long.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Up from her nap.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Two things.

(1) This morning we bought a Buy-n-Sell to start our hunt for the next sized car seat. Not many in there so I'm not sure what we'll do as this frugal (I was going to say "cheap" but J-L always corrects me when I do that) mom is very much against buying new for that sort of thing. We left messages with the first two places and reached someone at the third. No, we couldn't come see the car seat right away. Why? Well, her husband wasn't home. Oh, okay, so you want him to do the business side of this? No? Well, then, maybe you're uncomfortable with strangers coming over without him there? No? The husband was out with the van and the child and... the car seat. The kid still uses the car seat. Does it not seem odd to anyone else that someone would put their car seat up for sale when their child still uses it? Shouldn't you buy the next size first?

(2) I am alone in the apartment at the moment. I do believe this is the Very First Time I've been alone in this apartment since the babe came along. It's nice but really weird at the same time. It's been nearly 3 hours, they can come home now.

Friday, August 11, 2006

WSoP









Sometimes being in sixth place isn't so bad after all. 2.8 million! Poor, pathetic loser. How will he ever be able to face his family in such disgrace?

Eye rolling.

Is anybody REALLY important enough to need this?

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

No apologies for jumping on this bandwagon.

My husband sent me an email earlier this week with a link to this article. I have to admit it had me fuming. Seriously, 57% are bothered by breastfeeding in public!? I'm more than just a little stunned.

Fast forward to today. I was absolutely tickled to find
this blog via one of my regular reads. And, in an act of solidarity (even though I'm a bit late), here are my photos. The first one being one of her very first feeds and the second being a more recent one because hey, who says you need to lay down while eating? (Yes, she is still latched on in that second photo. Crazy restless kid.)

The wedding.

I've been meaning to post this since Saturday but a few things have stood in my way (father-in-law in hospital, saying good-bye to my mom (again), chasing after a nonstop 9 month-old). Problem is, what seemed clear and concise 4 days ago doesn't seem quite that way now. I'm left with three main thoughts.

1. Speeches. Oh my. I really hope people didn't feel this way at our wedding. Goodness. Based on these speeches you'd think this was Mother Teresa marrying St. Francis. Seriously, I understand you say nice things about people at their wedding but let's not get carried away. I'm sure they're decent people but they're not perfect. And while I'm at it, something has been nagging on my brain ever since the wedding. It's this saying (it came up twice during the speeches): "Don't marry someone you can live with, marry someone you can't live without". Are your eyes rolling? A little? Yeah, that's kinda how I felt all evening. Thing is, I love J-L very much. I'd rather not live without him. But can I? YES. I. CAN. And that's all I'm going to say about that or someone might pull out a soapbox for me.

2. Photography. I've been rather quiet about this in the past but enough's enough. Digital cameras are a lot of fun. They have made it possible for people to take scads of photos and then just delete them afterwards when they don't need/want them. I get that. I enjoy mine too for that reason. But do you really need 452 photos of your niece's wedding? Okay, maybe your niece's but your coworker's wedding or your next door neighbour's son's wedding? I DON'T THINK SO. Fact is, you probably don't need more than 1! So, now that we've got that settled: PLEASE, (I'm begging you) sit down and stop getting in the way of the wedding photographer!

3. I may have made a new friend at the wedding. At dinner I sat beside someone who may well become My New Friend. Tee hee. Our opinions were similar. Our stories are similar. We're both first-time-moms-at-36. I could go on and on. In fact, at one point, J-L looked at us and claimed that it was eerie how much we had in common. And so, at the end of the night, before we went home, I asked her for her phone number and email address. This is a big deal for me. I'm usually too shy to do something like that. I can't decide which I felt more like: A guy trying to pick up a girl in a bar or an elementary student asking at recess: "Will you be my friend?" Now here's hoping I actually get the nerve to call/email her. Sigh.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Know what?

Tonight I ate a toasted tomato sandwich with a tomato from my very own balcony garden. Smile.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Post #2: Friday's Feast.

I've seen them on other blogs. Today I decided to join in.

Appetizer
Name an actor or actress you think is totally underappreciated.
Gosh, none are coming to me right now. Which is a pity 'cause I often think of some that deserve more acclaim. I can easily think of ones that are OVERappreciated (or at the very least overpaid) like Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Nicholas Cage...

Soup
Impress us by using a big word in a sentence.
I'm more than a little disheartened by my daughter and her querulous ways these last few days.


Salad
What is something inanimate that you've given a name to (such as a pet rock)?
Well, recently my husband and I have taken to referring to Peanut's pacifier as "Gayle". As in her "best friend". As in the only way Gayle King is known. It may as well be her social title. Most people have Mr. or Ms. in front of their names. Gayle notsomuch. She's Oprah's Best Friend Gayle.

Main Course
What color would best represent your personality and why?
Speaking of Oprah... This question begs of her or Baba Wawa. Not feeling altogether too creative in this regard at the moment. I'm going to go with blue, for the obvious colour connotation.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks:
Rain is so very pleasant after all these hot days.

Post #1

The "bad" news? They weren't able to fix our beat-up-hunk-of-junk air conditioner.

The good news? We got a brand-new-shiny-scratch-free one!

Woohoo!

Thursday, August 03, 2006

And a few more ('cause I can't stop myself)




Happy memories (my apologies to those with dialup)









Things I Learned on our Road Trip (okay, some of them I probably knew already)

Seeing as we've been back for 5 days I thought I should probably shoot off at least one vacation post before heading back into RL posts.

1. Chicken fajitas are quite tasty even if you forgot to buy tortillas.
2. "Grandma's Pasties" can make us Manitobans giggle, in the Michigan's upper peninsula it doesn't mean quite what we envision.
3. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is VERY pretty. We'll visit there longer sometime.
4. Seagulls love to spread garbage around campsites.
5. Fort Erie, ON is NOT 2 hours away. Even if the sign suggests that it is. Thinking so can make for a very long afternoon.
6. Making Greek salad dressing at home to take on the road makes for a quick, healthy supper with just a few extra ingredients. Cleaning Greek salad dressing off of everything in the cooler NOT so much fun.
7. Some campsites are meant to be driven by. The next one is probably better.
8. When you see a onesie that states "Happy Camper" on it, BUY IT, even if it seems a little high-priced. You'll be sorry you didn't afterwards.
9. You just may see more wildflowers along the road than you will at "The Vermont Wildflower Farm". (But, it still might be a nice walk.)
10. An entire campground that smells of pee is not much of a fun place to hang out.
11. Pennsylvania has something against us. We've driven through it on two different occasions and it rained both times.
12. If you can dodge wrenches, you can dodge balls. (That one's just for you, J-L.)
13. If someone offers me free ice cream their generosity makes me want to pay more than what they normally charge.
14. I like going barefoot. But, seeing loads of duck and goose poop around a campsite makes me like wearing shoes too.
15. Although I don't read either "Cosmopolitan" or "Good Housekeeping", having a young clerk at a gas station offer some old ones to me for free when they didn't sell any magazines makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

The trip.

I keep wanting to come on here and post some tidbits about our lovely holiday. It was wonderful from beginning to end (well, maybe a FEW moments of un-loveliness) but alas I'm suffering a little from the back-from-a-much-anticipated-trip-it's-frickin'-hot-in-this-apartment-I-have-nothing-left-to-look-forward-to* blues. So, for right now I'll leave you with a map of our trip and hopefully later on today will be another post and perhaps some photos.











*Yes, I'm exaggerating. I have LOTS to look forward to. Like unpacking our clothes and food and cleaning the apartment and going back to work... See? Look at all the joy I have left in my life.