Happy St. Patrick's day! I suspect that there may just be a Guinness in my future later on.
Well, that was my portion of Spring Break and now I am back to warming my desk chair again. I made the mistake of checking my email from home last week and found out I made a few mistakes. I truly learned (again, most likely) that I have hard time making mistakes. I really don't want to make mistakes. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy and it was we overlook that causes the mistakes, or the things we make assumptions about. There is a process of accepting a mistake, and being able to discuss it objectively, and then being able to learn and move on from it. I guess I am lucky that it happened when I was off so I have time to process and reflect upon what happened before I get to discuss them in depth. They weren't huge mistakes, just stuff I need to be called on. I think a year ago I would have been more hostile about it, and now I am more open to the moulding that is happening - it does make me a better career person, if I chose to listen to these lessons.
The other piece I am trying to train my brain to spend some time on, is what do I need from my manager? Honestly. Not just throwing something out there and running away from it or being afraid of hurting someone's feeling, but actually talking about what my needs are, what I need to move forward. It is a process, and one I think we need to get there together. Work relationships do require effort if you want to go anywhere.
I also realized that sometimes I hold on to negative feelings. I can also be judgemental at times. I say this because I think at times I am nervous of being judged and not being found worthy. I think that is why I am usually trying to be busy, or productive, or being able to demonstrate the things I can do or have done. So crazy.
I spoke to a friend about some of the stuff floating through my, and she made the comment that sometimes we need to "move differently". This thought really resonated with me. It isn't always about what is or isn't working, it is perhaps about what you can do differently, or even think a different thought about, even take a look at an issue from a new angle. So that is what I am going to try to do, move a little differently. Where I am at, is okay. There are things I would like to change. I am reading more, I am knitting again, I hope our money is getting back under control, and the kids seem to be doing alright. I want more exercise for all of us, and I do really want to lose some weight. I am feeling a bit self conscious, even if my weight hasn't really changed in years. This is something I want to change. I want to have 30 minutes a day where I spend on physical activity outside of walking on my lunch. If I can involve my family, even better. So this is part of how I want to move differently. I have thought about crafting a 30 day challenge for myself, so I have something measureable, so I can prove to myself it helped. I seem to need those measurable goals to help achieve. I do like cataloging, and being able to see results (hence this blog, even if all I have done in the past few years is track my books... it has helped me).
It also helps to use this space as a space to let my thoughts spin out, and curl in to their own patterns. Even if I don't spend a lot of time re-reading posts (although I have been known to go back and look to see where my head space was at), for me, the process of thinking these thoughts and then articulating them is huge. It is like that for me with writing process manuals. Once they are done, aside from revisions, I don't really go back to them much unless there has been a big break of time in between times that I have done it.
I am also putting it out there to the universe that camping for the May Long weekend would be a glorious thing, and I have some ideas of where to go. You can't reserve where I want to go, and it is within 3 hours away. We shall see.
Showing posts with label NWO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NWO. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Before, and after.
Ok. I admit it. There are some authors that I find, and I can't wait until they release their next book. There are so many different reasons to enjoy authors - some are pure escape and almost a guilty pleasure (like Nora Roberts), some are well crafted novels of a different genre (crime novelists like Peter Robinson and Michael Connelly), some chick lit (like SAA), some fantasy, some YA, some big "L" literary novels that help keep me sharp. A good book transports us somewhere, teaches us something, makes us laugh, cry, release emotion, rethink or have a new thought.
Ever since I read Garden Spells, I have really enjoyed SAA books. A little bit of magical realism, some great characters, some quirkiness. They are quick reads, and after I turn the last page, I always seem to have a whimsical smile on my face. This latest book was no different. Of course, now that I have read it, I have no idea how long I will need to wait until she releases her next novel. Oddly enough, my favourite authors also have their own lives to lead, and not just to entertain their fans.
This was a good book - this continued the story of the Waverly sisters (from Garden Spells) and we catch up with them several years after the first book… in the weeks leading up to the 'first frost'. For the sisters and their kin, this is a time of transition - from summer to fall, harvest, waiting for things to happen, waiting for Halloween and then next phases. It is a time of anticipation, and heightened senses and tensions, and a time for confrontations that hopefully lead to communication. Very quick read, perfect for Spring Break. The biggest problem of taking popular books out from the library is the quick turnaround time… American Gods has been bumped for a week.
One quote really struck me from this novel - that moment in your life where there is a "before" and where there is "after". In this novel, part of that happens when the first frost happens. I would need to leaf through the book to find the exact quote (which I may add later on, no promises though since I loaned the book to my mom on a quick turnaround promise before it is due).
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Get over it already.
Being a parent has been the most amazing journey. Being the parent of a kid who has a few extra challenges (I rarely if ever say the words in here, the scary words being hydrocephalus and spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that affects the lower limbs. For B this means muscle tightness that makes him walk with less coordination and makes balance a little more difficult, this is why he was a late walker. The hydrocephalus is managed by his shunt, which knock on wood, will not fail again but if it does we will cross that bridge when we get to it, I have one helluva strong boy and we are a strong family and can deal with it) thrown in to the mix has been an incredible journey with a few extra pitfalls to take in to consideration. Talking to some of our various professionals, I think a lot of what they need to do is support the parents because they are the ones that are frankly scared shitless for the first few years until they realize that their child is really and truly going to be okay. It really isn't so much about the kids because frankly they don't know a different reality, but for parents trying to be the best people they can be, and balancing work and finances, their relationships, and home, they are the ones that need a little bit of extra support and sometimes just listening to as they evolve in to their slightly adjusted parental role.
Getting over it all... (taking it on the chin, making margaritas...) time moves on... Then, somehow, you grow to arrive in the present moment, no longer as fragile as you once were as a new parent with a whole different set of challenges than you anticipated, more confident, and more capable. You adjust, you grow, you find that you have evolved in to a different kind of parent and person than you ever imagined. Life evens out, hell, it moves on. A few scary words put in to perspective when you envision your cool little person who shrugs off those labels and continues to play and be a kid. You recognize again your dude is really cool, as is your second dude, and you not really knowing any different, discover different strengths and talents.
Moving on to the next chapter as you are where you need to be as a mum, now that it seems your life has moved on and you have grown up a little, you now get to deal with the people who are going to take care of your kid when you are at work. You have to deal with the people who are going to be "teaching" your kid. You realize that even though you have been getting on getting over it (and have moved on and life continues) there are a bunch of people that get stuck on the scary words and their eyes seem to glaze over and their judgment becomes clouded over. The last few weeks have been about transition as we have moved in to a new childcare centre in our place (next age group), and we are getting ready for kindergarten. I see meetings in my future with a bunch of professionals to create a plan. On one hand the plan is about making sure B becomes the best person he can be and to create a education plan for PE, and on the other hand, it is to ultimately support our educational role models (teachers, etc) in figuring out that my kid has a few extra labels that don't really mean much at the end of the day - yes, they could, but the reality isn't quite what they first sound like when you try them out.
It just has been weird how this transition has gone. It has really done me in emotionally between dealing with the new staff (the casual staff and the program head have been great but the regulars freaked out a bit), dealing with a few issues from the past (when B had his surgery and how it was not handled by his last centre), and then with getting ready for kindergarten and making sure they know what to expect, and then setting goals with our physio, and our supported childcare person, and then getting ready for botox injections in a few weeks (which should help B's tone in the sense that it should just help him even further standing tall and get his legs going better, more retraining the brain). It doesn't help we got in to this care program in the 11th hour, or that we got in to our desired kindergarten program 17 minutes before they closed for the summer... One of the biggest deals is that it is a 1km walk from B's centre to school, and we will be walking it. The staff are concerned about how fast he will be and that at the end of last year the kids could do it in 22 minutes. They wanted to march the kids out the 1km and turn around and come back and not even play or rest or take a break in between. Their concern was that B wouldn't make it and make people late. It was "my problem" to deal with... things were looking pretty bad there (nothing like walking to work after a morning like that and wanting to do nothing more than go to your car and have a good cry). I pushed back, talked to the program head, etc... is it reasonable to ask any almost 5 year old to walk 2 km with out a real break? Not so much. 1km B can do.. he certainly is not fast, but he can do it. Will we compromise, absolutely, and yes, we are taking him on nightly walks to work on his endurance (okay, it also helps to tire out C) - if he needs more time, we can come early, or hell, bring a wagon as a "just in case".. take a few elevators, modify your route.. let us see what will work. This is just such a process. It is exhausting on top of everything else. Let him just be himself, he can do it - his way. This is what it comes down to, a similar process to what I went through, you see the words and get scared, and then you realize you are still just dealing with this really cool kid you love more than anything who isn't those words. So over the last two weeks I have had to help the staff get over themselves, and just kick back and enjoy and learn about my son. As if just dealing with ourselves wasn't enough, I get to help a whole new batch of people get over every year! a strange journey I must say.
Bloody hell, I start typing out all this stuff and it is no wonder I am feeling a bit crispy around the edges. And this is just stuff with B, not C, or his daycare, or his needs as a busy two year old - nothing to do with my own work, or selling our house, or dealing with a potential move, or trying to get all my laundry put away the day it happens and not five days later, and oh my god, maybe even getting a few hours with my husband ALONE one of these days..
Okay. Breath. Still with me? This is a longer ramble-rant.
The irony of it all, the second baseball team that I weaseled our way on to (after the first team crumbled at the end and this second team adopted us and continued playing up until this week), those two coaches who weren't professionals were amazing and didn't need to have all these meetings to figure stuff out. They welcomed our kid, played with him, taught him how to hit the ball, catch, and be a goof with a bunch of other kids his age. The other parents were rock stars and didn't question or ask what was up, they just accepted us at face value. What the hell is wrong when 5 of us have to meet to create a "strategy" to make sure that staff in an educational setting feels comfortable dealing with a kid with a few barriers that at the end of the day, are pretty minor barriers that he has already overcome? I don't get it. What the hell do the parents whose kids are so much farther down the spectrum have to deal with? I could not imagine. we are dealing with gross motor stuff - ultimately balance issues and endurance... not life threatening illness, or behavioral issues, or mental health issues. Woah.
We are going on holidays next week, and apparently there are some ciderys along the way. Never heard of a cidery? Like a vineyard only they make specialty ciders.. much more up my alley. I want to check this one out, and a few others. Find some nice craft brews, ciders.. some fresh seafood, have a campfire.. this is the stuff that matters and puts it all in to perspective.
Getting over it all... (taking it on the chin, making margaritas...) time moves on... Then, somehow, you grow to arrive in the present moment, no longer as fragile as you once were as a new parent with a whole different set of challenges than you anticipated, more confident, and more capable. You adjust, you grow, you find that you have evolved in to a different kind of parent and person than you ever imagined. Life evens out, hell, it moves on. A few scary words put in to perspective when you envision your cool little person who shrugs off those labels and continues to play and be a kid. You recognize again your dude is really cool, as is your second dude, and you not really knowing any different, discover different strengths and talents.
Moving on to the next chapter as you are where you need to be as a mum, now that it seems your life has moved on and you have grown up a little, you now get to deal with the people who are going to take care of your kid when you are at work. You have to deal with the people who are going to be "teaching" your kid. You realize that even though you have been getting on getting over it (and have moved on and life continues) there are a bunch of people that get stuck on the scary words and their eyes seem to glaze over and their judgment becomes clouded over. The last few weeks have been about transition as we have moved in to a new childcare centre in our place (next age group), and we are getting ready for kindergarten. I see meetings in my future with a bunch of professionals to create a plan. On one hand the plan is about making sure B becomes the best person he can be and to create a education plan for PE, and on the other hand, it is to ultimately support our educational role models (teachers, etc) in figuring out that my kid has a few extra labels that don't really mean much at the end of the day - yes, they could, but the reality isn't quite what they first sound like when you try them out.
It just has been weird how this transition has gone. It has really done me in emotionally between dealing with the new staff (the casual staff and the program head have been great but the regulars freaked out a bit), dealing with a few issues from the past (when B had his surgery and how it was not handled by his last centre), and then with getting ready for kindergarten and making sure they know what to expect, and then setting goals with our physio, and our supported childcare person, and then getting ready for botox injections in a few weeks (which should help B's tone in the sense that it should just help him even further standing tall and get his legs going better, more retraining the brain). It doesn't help we got in to this care program in the 11th hour, or that we got in to our desired kindergarten program 17 minutes before they closed for the summer... One of the biggest deals is that it is a 1km walk from B's centre to school, and we will be walking it. The staff are concerned about how fast he will be and that at the end of last year the kids could do it in 22 minutes. They wanted to march the kids out the 1km and turn around and come back and not even play or rest or take a break in between. Their concern was that B wouldn't make it and make people late. It was "my problem" to deal with... things were looking pretty bad there (nothing like walking to work after a morning like that and wanting to do nothing more than go to your car and have a good cry). I pushed back, talked to the program head, etc... is it reasonable to ask any almost 5 year old to walk 2 km with out a real break? Not so much. 1km B can do.. he certainly is not fast, but he can do it. Will we compromise, absolutely, and yes, we are taking him on nightly walks to work on his endurance (okay, it also helps to tire out C) - if he needs more time, we can come early, or hell, bring a wagon as a "just in case".. take a few elevators, modify your route.. let us see what will work. This is just such a process. It is exhausting on top of everything else. Let him just be himself, he can do it - his way. This is what it comes down to, a similar process to what I went through, you see the words and get scared, and then you realize you are still just dealing with this really cool kid you love more than anything who isn't those words. So over the last two weeks I have had to help the staff get over themselves, and just kick back and enjoy and learn about my son. As if just dealing with ourselves wasn't enough, I get to help a whole new batch of people get over every year! a strange journey I must say.
Bloody hell, I start typing out all this stuff and it is no wonder I am feeling a bit crispy around the edges. And this is just stuff with B, not C, or his daycare, or his needs as a busy two year old - nothing to do with my own work, or selling our house, or dealing with a potential move, or trying to get all my laundry put away the day it happens and not five days later, and oh my god, maybe even getting a few hours with my husband ALONE one of these days..
Okay. Breath. Still with me? This is a longer ramble-rant.
The irony of it all, the second baseball team that I weaseled our way on to (after the first team crumbled at the end and this second team adopted us and continued playing up until this week), those two coaches who weren't professionals were amazing and didn't need to have all these meetings to figure stuff out. They welcomed our kid, played with him, taught him how to hit the ball, catch, and be a goof with a bunch of other kids his age. The other parents were rock stars and didn't question or ask what was up, they just accepted us at face value. What the hell is wrong when 5 of us have to meet to create a "strategy" to make sure that staff in an educational setting feels comfortable dealing with a kid with a few barriers that at the end of the day, are pretty minor barriers that he has already overcome? I don't get it. What the hell do the parents whose kids are so much farther down the spectrum have to deal with? I could not imagine. we are dealing with gross motor stuff - ultimately balance issues and endurance... not life threatening illness, or behavioral issues, or mental health issues. Woah.
We are going on holidays next week, and apparently there are some ciderys along the way. Never heard of a cidery? Like a vineyard only they make specialty ciders.. much more up my alley. I want to check this one out, and a few others. Find some nice craft brews, ciders.. some fresh seafood, have a campfire.. this is the stuff that matters and puts it all in to perspective.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
I quit.
Amazing the power of those 2 little words.
I can't believe that I am really jumping ship and going to a different institution. It feels great - especially when I have had a taste of the training that is going to be happening around here, especially with 4 new staff!! RUN AWAY!
It is a step up, more or less a promotion, more dollars attached to it, and a slightly different learning curve. Saying good bye is strange, it isn't like I am leaving on bad terms, I have made many friendships over the years, but I am leaving nonetheless.
I see fellow coworkers and clients, and there is no really easy way to say "I quit". Ok, maybe I am saying it like that for the dramatic effect, but the result is the same. I am taking a leap of faith and hoping that those greener fields do work out for me. I have had a few emotional moments, realizing that many work relationships will end now (face it, who has time to maintain some of the casual friends you make because you work in the same place, life moves on and your point of contact has too) and I will learn new routines, and have a bunch of new habits.
I haven't really had a chance to personally tell a lot of people, with our staff shortage my days are going far quicker than I imagined - wrapping things up and jumping in where needed. I have also overhauled part of our office, leaving a definite mark that I was here. Then I have been exhausted the last few nights, I think this has been a bit of ride, and well, I can't wait for the weekend and I am so glad that we have not been planned up the ying yang because the down time is really needed. Last weekend I had a chance to putter in the garden, and we got our for a great family walk. The break between the chaos is needed.
Only 10 more days here! It feels different than when I went away on my maternity leave.. this is for real, I am not coming back - my supervisor is even going to move in to my office when I leave! As you can tell, I am a little excited. I have tried to make this change a few times and been blocked, it is nice that the barriers have been removed and I am moving on up.
I can't believe that I am really jumping ship and going to a different institution. It feels great - especially when I have had a taste of the training that is going to be happening around here, especially with 4 new staff!! RUN AWAY!
It is a step up, more or less a promotion, more dollars attached to it, and a slightly different learning curve. Saying good bye is strange, it isn't like I am leaving on bad terms, I have made many friendships over the years, but I am leaving nonetheless.
I see fellow coworkers and clients, and there is no really easy way to say "I quit". Ok, maybe I am saying it like that for the dramatic effect, but the result is the same. I am taking a leap of faith and hoping that those greener fields do work out for me. I have had a few emotional moments, realizing that many work relationships will end now (face it, who has time to maintain some of the casual friends you make because you work in the same place, life moves on and your point of contact has too) and I will learn new routines, and have a bunch of new habits.
I haven't really had a chance to personally tell a lot of people, with our staff shortage my days are going far quicker than I imagined - wrapping things up and jumping in where needed. I have also overhauled part of our office, leaving a definite mark that I was here. Then I have been exhausted the last few nights, I think this has been a bit of ride, and well, I can't wait for the weekend and I am so glad that we have not been planned up the ying yang because the down time is really needed. Last weekend I had a chance to putter in the garden, and we got our for a great family walk. The break between the chaos is needed.
Only 10 more days here! It feels different than when I went away on my maternity leave.. this is for real, I am not coming back - my supervisor is even going to move in to my office when I leave! As you can tell, I am a little excited. I have tried to make this change a few times and been blocked, it is nice that the barriers have been removed and I am moving on up.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
...and thanks for all the fish....
I figured an offhand reference to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the World was in order, since my world is in for yet another change.
I am stealing a page from Nej's book with this post.
After 10 years at my current place of employment, I am finally and officially leaving for greener fields. Of course, once I am in the thick of things at my new work, I am sure that I will discover their version of politics, and bitching and moaning, but it will be different bitching and moaning, and I will be a lot better paid and a little more prestige as well is attached. It is exciting, and I am a little sad (that stage will pass rather quickly) because it is the end of an era with my current job, but it is time.
I felt for my boss, that makes it 4 out of 6 staff to leave in less than a month. Personally, I am getting along well with everyone, but at this stage, that doesn't make or break the job. I am glad that I am not going to be around to do the training, and I will finally have an office that has a window - or will be close to natural light!!! After being in a box,within a box, within a greater box, and having had no idea of what the weather was, this will be a perk in itself!
All fingers crossed, they will let me go for a condensed 4 day work week, it means 8.75 hour days (35 hours is considered a full time work week) but that means long weekends, and Brandon only in care 4 days. I hope. The 3 days and 2 nights wasn't really working, so I was already prepared to let that go. I just hope my new employer goes for my proposed schedule of work. The leap of faith comes in it is a 1 year temporary job. My work place would not grant me a leave, so I am quitting, and hoping that this one year turns in to a "stay, we want you, you are trained and what we need, yay!"... in my line of work, we are pretty specialized at what we do and it is a somewhat stressful job, so this is generally how it works out if you are able to make it past the first 6 weeks.
So, I maxed out my extended health and bought new glasses, I am going for a massage tomorrow night, and I made sure there was no dental work that needed to be done.
It feels good to be moving on. I haven't really moved back in to my old office, all I need to do is bring a calendar home.
I think now I will print a few pictures of the family to bring in to my new office, maybe get a new plant, and start with a clean slate. Funny how things work out - my commitments to my workplace have all drawn to a close, and it is a good time for me to cut loose.
I am stealing a page from Nej's book with this post.
After 10 years at my current place of employment, I am finally and officially leaving for greener fields. Of course, once I am in the thick of things at my new work, I am sure that I will discover their version of politics, and bitching and moaning, but it will be different bitching and moaning, and I will be a lot better paid and a little more prestige as well is attached. It is exciting, and I am a little sad (that stage will pass rather quickly) because it is the end of an era with my current job, but it is time.
I felt for my boss, that makes it 4 out of 6 staff to leave in less than a month. Personally, I am getting along well with everyone, but at this stage, that doesn't make or break the job. I am glad that I am not going to be around to do the training, and I will finally have an office that has a window - or will be close to natural light!!! After being in a box,within a box, within a greater box, and having had no idea of what the weather was, this will be a perk in itself!
All fingers crossed, they will let me go for a condensed 4 day work week, it means 8.75 hour days (35 hours is considered a full time work week) but that means long weekends, and Brandon only in care 4 days. I hope. The 3 days and 2 nights wasn't really working, so I was already prepared to let that go. I just hope my new employer goes for my proposed schedule of work. The leap of faith comes in it is a 1 year temporary job. My work place would not grant me a leave, so I am quitting, and hoping that this one year turns in to a "stay, we want you, you are trained and what we need, yay!"... in my line of work, we are pretty specialized at what we do and it is a somewhat stressful job, so this is generally how it works out if you are able to make it past the first 6 weeks.
So, I maxed out my extended health and bought new glasses, I am going for a massage tomorrow night, and I made sure there was no dental work that needed to be done.
It feels good to be moving on. I haven't really moved back in to my old office, all I need to do is bring a calendar home.
I think now I will print a few pictures of the family to bring in to my new office, maybe get a new plant, and start with a clean slate. Funny how things work out - my commitments to my workplace have all drawn to a close, and it is a good time for me to cut loose.
quite the reaction
I figured that this deserved it's own post.
So, I walked in to tell my supervisor that it was official, I had been offered the job that I interviewed for last week, and I had accepted.
Her reaction:
"Fuck."
I half smiled, half looked at her in what I hoped for was empathy, I am the 4th person to do this to her in a month, and perhaps the one of the hardest to replace cogs in our system.
"Fuck." there it was again, and even her freckles started to bleach out. I felt momentarily guilty, but that was a momentary lapse of reason.
"You know, I am sincerely happy for you - this is a really good opportunity for you."
"Thanks, I know this is a really strange conversation to be having, especially since things are going so well right now with work, and given the current situation of three new staff coming on board."
"Fuck."
What can I say, I was trying really hard not to smile, absolutely gleeful about the change in work venues and raise in pay, and I was trying hard not to let out a completely inappropriate war whoop, and pumping my fist in the air because it finally happened for me and I am a movingo n up!!!
So, I walked in to tell my supervisor that it was official, I had been offered the job that I interviewed for last week, and I had accepted.
Her reaction:
"Fuck."
I half smiled, half looked at her in what I hoped for was empathy, I am the 4th person to do this to her in a month, and perhaps the one of the hardest to replace cogs in our system.
"Fuck." there it was again, and even her freckles started to bleach out. I felt momentarily guilty, but that was a momentary lapse of reason.
"You know, I am sincerely happy for you - this is a really good opportunity for you."
"Thanks, I know this is a really strange conversation to be having, especially since things are going so well right now with work, and given the current situation of three new staff coming on board."
"Fuck."
What can I say, I was trying really hard not to smile, absolutely gleeful about the change in work venues and raise in pay, and I was trying hard not to let out a completely inappropriate war whoop, and pumping my fist in the air because it finally happened for me and I am a movingo n up!!!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
My baby is one.
One. 1. The big digit. More than 12 months. A whole damn year since I gave birth! URP!
Where the hell did it really go?? Sure, I have been raising a baby and avoiding work, being a wife, being a friend, and a daughter with an attitude (hard raising parents, especially our own mothers), and all those other hats you get to wear in your time six feet up, but really, I know I am in my 30s, and we have a baby, but holy shit has this year gone fast. Brandon turned 1 yesterday, and I go back to work in 7 days. Maybe a month from now I will be a little more excited about returning to the world of adults, but I am not there yet.
I gave Brandon his first cut. Nej will be happy because there is no longer a need for a haircut intervention. The long wispy (and oh so adorable) curls are gone and he definitely looks like a boy. Enough people asked me about my little girl that it was more than time to bring out the scissors. It was a momentous event for us, and yes, I will keep his hair in a bag. I am sentimental!
Brandon's birthday was great. Had a quiet morning, and then we went to Deer Lake and I took Brandon on the old fashioned carousel that they have. The first time around he went on one of the smaller horses that doesn't move, and the second time around we picked a big one. It is pretty fast, and the first time that the horse went up his eyes were wide as saucers! It was great, we wrapped things up with a bit of a walk around the lake, and then headed towards home. We had all the gran'folks over, and my brother, and we had a great seafood dinner. Brandon went to town on his cake - he had icing everywhere. I was proud - he was covered in the white and blue sugar - ears, hair, in between all his fingers, and he was mashing cake in to his mouth with a big smile on his face. After I upload my pics, I will add a few for posterity's sake.
This weekend we will have friends and family over for a BBQ and hopefully the weather holds since our place really isn't that big. RSVPing seems to be a bit of an issue but we will just roll with it and whomever is able to show is great! We will have a good time :D I am in "gettin'er done" mode, I have a list and I am knocking a few things off of it. Those projects that you try to put off forever, well, i figure I should get a few done before I actually go back to work and have less free time. I am also waiting with baited breath for my copy of HP to show up. Apparently it isn't always wise to preorder and not pay for the quicker shipping. *AHEM* I do have some less than stellar moments...ah well. It is sunny and here I am inside. And unlike all those times I sign off wishing for a nap (they never happen), I am going to head out in the sun and sand down my adirondack chairs so I can refinish them (yes, that is one of those projects).
Where the hell did it really go?? Sure, I have been raising a baby and avoiding work, being a wife, being a friend, and a daughter with an attitude (hard raising parents, especially our own mothers), and all those other hats you get to wear in your time six feet up, but really, I know I am in my 30s, and we have a baby, but holy shit has this year gone fast. Brandon turned 1 yesterday, and I go back to work in 7 days. Maybe a month from now I will be a little more excited about returning to the world of adults, but I am not there yet.
I gave Brandon his first cut. Nej will be happy because there is no longer a need for a haircut intervention. The long wispy (and oh so adorable) curls are gone and he definitely looks like a boy. Enough people asked me about my little girl that it was more than time to bring out the scissors. It was a momentous event for us, and yes, I will keep his hair in a bag. I am sentimental!
Brandon's birthday was great. Had a quiet morning, and then we went to Deer Lake and I took Brandon on the old fashioned carousel that they have. The first time around he went on one of the smaller horses that doesn't move, and the second time around we picked a big one. It is pretty fast, and the first time that the horse went up his eyes were wide as saucers! It was great, we wrapped things up with a bit of a walk around the lake, and then headed towards home. We had all the gran'folks over, and my brother, and we had a great seafood dinner. Brandon went to town on his cake - he had icing everywhere. I was proud - he was covered in the white and blue sugar - ears, hair, in between all his fingers, and he was mashing cake in to his mouth with a big smile on his face. After I upload my pics, I will add a few for posterity's sake.
This weekend we will have friends and family over for a BBQ and hopefully the weather holds since our place really isn't that big. RSVPing seems to be a bit of an issue but we will just roll with it and whomever is able to show is great! We will have a good time :D I am in "gettin'er done" mode, I have a list and I am knocking a few things off of it. Those projects that you try to put off forever, well, i figure I should get a few done before I actually go back to work and have less free time. I am also waiting with baited breath for my copy of HP to show up. Apparently it isn't always wise to preorder and not pay for the quicker shipping. *AHEM* I do have some less than stellar moments...ah well. It is sunny and here I am inside. And unlike all those times I sign off wishing for a nap (they never happen), I am going to head out in the sun and sand down my adirondack chairs so I can refinish them (yes, that is one of those projects).
Monday, December 11, 2006
Damn fast
Today didn't feel like a monday by any stretch of the word.
Brandon and I didn't crawl out of bed until nearly 11 o'clock!!! SCORE! I can't remember the last time I was lounging in bed for that long. I guess we both needed the sleep from the weekend? Of course, it didn't help that I didn't fall asleep until 2am, but the extra sleep was great :] it sure does make the day go really quickly though.
I really did go on a laundry strike in the last week. Or perhaps just with Brandon's stuff for some strange reason. There were two full loads of babystuff. WTF?! I guess I have been putting off washing his clothes to make sure I use all those sleepers in the drawer, and try out some different outfits rather than just the tried and true. I had him in awesome colorful pants and a red shirt yesterday and it was fun to see him like that. They were his happy pants for the day.
I got a total suprise visit tonight! Nej and the boys are in town!!! So a certain favourite person of mine came by for some baby-luvin! I never understood that until now that I have my own. One of my other friend's always thought it was funny that I wouldn't notice cute babies, they didn't even blip on my radar... well... that was another thing that changed with childbirth! I notice kids. Hell, the other day at the rink there were kids EVERYWHERE!! Strange phenom. Our visit zoomed by and we had some great laughs. Amazing to pick up where you left off from, even better when the leaving off was the last email I sent her this morning!
So, no tree up yet, but the lights did go up. It is strange getting used to the LED lights... not bad, not OMG these are the best things since sliced bread, just different. I am mulling over my baking list, and the shopping list is taking shape. It seems to come just so damn fast though. I am excited to see everyone, and the food, and the good times, and watching the whole experience through a new set of eyes.
Brandon and I didn't crawl out of bed until nearly 11 o'clock!!! SCORE! I can't remember the last time I was lounging in bed for that long. I guess we both needed the sleep from the weekend? Of course, it didn't help that I didn't fall asleep until 2am, but the extra sleep was great :] it sure does make the day go really quickly though.
I really did go on a laundry strike in the last week. Or perhaps just with Brandon's stuff for some strange reason. There were two full loads of babystuff. WTF?! I guess I have been putting off washing his clothes to make sure I use all those sleepers in the drawer, and try out some different outfits rather than just the tried and true. I had him in awesome colorful pants and a red shirt yesterday and it was fun to see him like that. They were his happy pants for the day.
I got a total suprise visit tonight! Nej and the boys are in town!!! So a certain favourite person of mine came by for some baby-luvin! I never understood that until now that I have my own. One of my other friend's always thought it was funny that I wouldn't notice cute babies, they didn't even blip on my radar... well... that was another thing that changed with childbirth! I notice kids. Hell, the other day at the rink there were kids EVERYWHERE!! Strange phenom. Our visit zoomed by and we had some great laughs. Amazing to pick up where you left off from, even better when the leaving off was the last email I sent her this morning!
So, no tree up yet, but the lights did go up. It is strange getting used to the LED lights... not bad, not OMG these are the best things since sliced bread, just different. I am mulling over my baking list, and the shopping list is taking shape. It seems to come just so damn fast though. I am excited to see everyone, and the food, and the good times, and watching the whole experience through a new set of eyes.
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