a weekly thing, is this really turning into a weekly thing...

ack me, i get sooooo angry when the blogs i follow don't update every single day, and here i am turning into the weekly blogger! Ack me!
Okay things are crazy here, the snow is beautiful but making for a bit of a challenge in getting our christmas dinner off and running. Today Karen came over and we primed/made the stuffing dish to bake tommorow, the candied sherry sweet potats, and the desser of strawberry delight! YUMMY, such fun, especially when we didn't know if she would make it out here. thank goodness they plowed our lot and driveway so everything's good. In other awesome news, my ring is ready. For those following at home a little monkey who lives with me misplaced my beautiful engagement ring in augus, we looked into our insurance policy and we are covered for a new one so it has been in the works since sept and is ready! And i can't wait to see it, IF i get to see it! Jer took the car to work in hopes to be able to drive out there to vancouver and get it for me as we can't go tommorow because we are hosting christmas dins and then they are closed for 2 weeks after! Jer being the sweetest pie in the world thinks i should really have my ring for christmas! So keep those fingers crossed!
Hmmmmm what else, shopping done, sisters both made it in from TO and Calgary, so happy to see them, Jess's wonderful boyfriend Dave who has a 4 by 4 truck came and took cole and i to safeway yesterday since after digging my car out best i could during 45 minutes of coldness and it still wouldnt' go. I needed groceries for christmas dins and just regular life! so we are all set thanks dave!
We finished off the drama classes so I get a bit of a break until Jan, have two more singing events with ROCA, tonight is one of my faves... we get pulled in a haywagon through the streets of steveston whilst singing carols for the santa parade! Cole will be there with his buddy dawson and auntie caitlin and uncle paul and his dad too!
Now i must vacumn and clean the house before everyone gets here tommorow!

Wintersong

What a gorgeous monday. The snow lay there so fresh and crisp and the sun poured in our living room like nobody's buisness and i thought, this isn't calgary girl you gotta soak this shiz up! So out we went, bundled in our winter best. Cole and I walked the city today. We started out on the Dyke... breathtaking, snapped a few pics here and there, and chatted about the snow and the snow mans....made our way to the park, were one of two kids playing there, hit up the library, the thrift shop (my favorite store ever!) and then got a call on the cell from Adele and D to head over for lunch, so we walked another 40 to their home... had a wonderful lunch the boys chased each other around and played and then we walked the 30 minute walk home. It felt soooo good. To be outside in the lovley crisp winter air, and out in the sun too! What a great monday! Looking forward to a lovely week to come...

Monday Morning

Today I knew we had to get out. The Sun was a calling us, and our playdate plans were busy vomiting everywhere so I decided the park was CRUCIAL today.

I remember packing up for a walk with newborn Cole as being somewhat okay, a little challenging, but all in all fairly easy. I figured it could only get easier, what with a little one who can actually walk and crawl into his own buggy, who can tell me what he needs ( when he feels like it) and how can even put on his own boots on the right feet!

Not today

Today, I knew coffee was imperitive to my well being as a mom. So I started boiling the water and attempted to grind the beans when the whinning and whinging and "mommy comes" started.... someone NEEDED to be read to and needed it now. I started the get ready to go routine at 8:30am after breakfast, all I had to do was make coffee, pack snacks, change a diaper and put Cole into playclothes, get my contacts in, get me into regular clothes and outta pjs and oh make the bed (it's a neurosis i have, making sure the bed is made) well I'll put it to you this way, we got out the door at 10:09...PEOPLE that is an hour and 39 minutes later! Ack me.... I do wonder about how long it will take when we have a newbie and a cole to get ready which bring me to my next topic of discussion...

Whilst playing at the park, Cole and I ran into an old friend and her two twin gals, we played and tried to chat as much as possible, then decided to head over to mcdonalds for some coffee and fries. Whilst there, we saw a hot looking mommy ( def of the mummi variety) with two 3 year old twin boys, a 15 month old girl and a belly that says I am due very soon. Upon my friend asking her how she does it, she responded " I always say if depends on the husband, mine is awesome we probably will end up with another to make it 5. To this In my head I thought okay great you can do it emotionally and physically but you must be loaded or make a billion dollars or both if you can afford 5.... and then, and then my friends she finished of her story of how great her husband is with and he's also a letter carrier so he can be home at 1 or 2 in the afternoon which is a great help.
Now I think letter carriers are awesome, I thought about looking into it for when cole is in school, but how my dears do you raise a family of possibly 7 on a letter carrier salary, to be fair she also works part time in the evenings but dude that still probably only equals what jer makes so HOW oh How in heavens name do they do it...

that was monday... wonder what thought provoking questions tuesday will bring! Ha!

What a weekend.....
One - Trip to the Dentist to have my broken tooth fixed
Two - fairly relaxing evenings, one in bed by 9 the other watching Into the wild into the late hours of the evening but well well worth it!
Three- cups of coffee total
Four - tacos consumed!
Five - Pictures i managed to download and shops visited whilst walking in steveston!
Six - Dinning room chairs recovered by moi!
Seven - Loads of laundry a record for our home!
Eight - times we had to watch the christmas train go round while Cole clapped to the crazy music!
Nine - Hours straight that Cole FINALLY slept through on Saturday night
Ten - i can't think of any ten's!
it's 9:17 and i am sooooooooooo hitting the hay.....

nights

blogging,
I love it, why i don't do it more often is a mystery.... oh wait no it isn't it's called sleep deprivation and we've been dealt the short end of the stick.... BUT we are making some progress, Small progress but progress none the less. Cole hasn't had milk at night for 6 whole nights in a row!Yes he still wakes about 4-5 times a night, BUT he doesn't shreeeeeek like we are pulling his toenails off, he calls DADDADADDADADDA which is such a welcome change. So Jer is getting up and getting him settled which now takes 3 minutes as opposed to 47.... so jer is tired, but i almost have my boobs back!

To the yuppy, oh so painfully obviously child free couple walking on Granville Island this morning; who as my child was having a major meltdown in his stroller because he wanted to be carried 13 blocks by his sleep deprived and slightly pissed of mother, decided to comment, in a VERY rude fashion, I offer this... the response i was not quick enough to deliver, that would have sufficed so much better than my silence acceptance..... Ignorance truly is bliss.....

It's a wonderful day in the neighborhood...

Yesterday morning upon finding out we were not indeed having a playmate come over to entertain my darling television addicted child, I got us dressed and out the door pronto to enjoy a walk ala newborn style. Don't get me wrong we walk; heck we live in Steveston we walk everyday, but it's the way we walk that has changed. When Cole was a wee babe of 10 pounds or so we would take lovely long walks and take in the nice weather the beautiful crisp air and the fluffy white clouds, we could walk forever, and then somewhere along the way it changed, we started walking out of nessesity, we still took walks all the time but they were to get somewhere, be it the post office, the toy shop (for jer not cole) the grocery store, the library, the park, the community centre, or even Steveston coffee, it was like we needed to have a destination or a treat at the end. So yesterday we took the long dyke way, walked, not to get anywhere just to enjoy the wonderfulness that is our neighborhood, to point out the dogs, the ducks, the turtles, the squirrels, the rabits, the crows, the horses, the frogs, the cranes,the snow geese the eagles and hawks and yes the baby calf in the pasture being born right in front of our eyes. That's right, my 20 something self and my 20 something month old saw for the first time, the birth of a baby calf. In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city, along the beautiful and oh so misty and peaceful dyke, we watched with awe as a baby calf slipped out and her mamma started cleaning her up and trying to get her to take her first steps. As one passerby said, and life goes on eh? We all cheered and clapped along with the farmer and the few standing and watching, and I felt a part of it. In the middle of this crazy world it was a beautiful sight to see and to share with my son so early on such a lovley day to be born, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love my neighborhood, I love having the water minutes from my door, and the peace that that stretch of dyke brings, I love having a farm load of animals mere steps from our house, to share with Cole, and I love having this little Village of Steveston to call my home. Yesterday I popped back into a shop where I purchased a wee sign for our kitchen a few days ago to ask about hanging it, the shop owner said bring it on in, your one of the locals right? And for the first time since we lived in our sleepy town of white rock, i felt a part of the community, part of the people, part of a neighborhood. We also share this with our wonderful neighbors in the apartment, don't get me wrong we've met the crazy's, and have many a laugh over them, but the people in our wing have bent over backwards to welcome us with open arms, we have the paper delivered to our door by one sweetie, always a conversation and a hello, coupons slipped under the door, along with homemade treats, kinda makes up for the broomstickers below!It was a bit unerving thinking should we really have bought into apartment living, but yesterday showed me we really should have, because it really does take a village to raised a child.

2nd annual pre-natal costume party!

Thanks to April and Keith on a wonderful 2nd halloween costume bash for our prenatal class! It's so great to stay in touch with everybody through our now second year being first time parents! We love watching the kiddies grow and develop into their own persons! Looking forward to the next event! And starting up the monthly ladies nights too!

boys....

it's funny I've only ever known life with girls. I grew up with two sisters, billions of aunts, many a great grandma and oma's gallore, and now I've been thrown full force into the world of boys. High energy boys. And I love it. I've met some beautiful friends with kids, through pre-natal class, babydays, the Steveston Park and Library, even through my choir. But there are two very special ladies who share more than just a daily coffee, a walk on the dyke, an attempt at storytime ( I told you high energy didn't i?) we share boys. And yesterday as I was watching coles's very good friend Jakob while his mummy taught her violin lesson we decided to meet up with Cole's other pal Dawson and his marvelous mum Adele. Here are some pics from a beautiful fall monday with the boys...

Amy is....

still rekooping from thanksgiving weekend.
Yes I know it was last weekend, but it was a HARD lesson learned weekend.
Lesson #1 - Do not take 20 month old baby to the island and sleep over
If you did not learn lesson one continue reading the rest...

Lesson #2 - Do not expect to eat thanksgiving dinner with everyone at table if the meal isn't served by 4pm
Lesson #3 - Don't expect to stay and "visit" with family and friends after dinner ends, expect to go back to motel and weep.
Lesson #4 - Plan on eating your now cold and mushy thanksgiving dessert in pitch black motel room while your baby sleeps in cot next to you.
Lesson #5 - Don't plan on sleeping at all
Lesson #6 - Don't expect breakfast
Lesson #7 - Plan on baby falling asleep at most inopurtune time (while arriving home at the ferry terminal, ) 7b) plan on child waking up while putting him into carseat, and plan on listning to him scream bloody murder for your grandparents and parents to hear, while the stupid ferry people take their sweet ass (25minutes!!!) to get the cars going
Lesson #8 - Sometimes Thanksgiving could be just as nice with a family of three than with a family of 17
Lesson #9 - Stick to the baby's scheduale if you want to save your marriage
Lesson #10 - Most important lesson of all..... There's no place like home (click click)

Fall

5

So as of tommorow at about 11:47ish am we'll have made it. 5 Whole years married. wow, I can't believe 5 years have already whisked by us. And sometimes I can't believe I have been in a serious (sometimes) relashionship for that long, well 5 years plus another 2 and a halfish, wow.
Here's to another 5 and a bit lovey....


ps- we've been married so long now, our wedding photos were actually film not digital, so i couldn't for the life of me find a picture of us on our wedding day, I will search, but for now i leave you with one of us on our one month anni, just back from mexico!
Will post more when we get back from Tofino, we head out first thing tommorow!

Out with it

We are not planning on having another child for a couple more years.

Yay I surprised myself at that too. You see life is kinda just getting back to being about all three of us now. Cole is at an age I can just drop him off with a sitter or lola or oma and go sing somewhere. We've got a good thing going as the song sings, and none of us (including cole, DEFINATLEY including cole) are ready for another one just yet.
I know this is so shocking to be coming from me. Me who wanted 8 kids, (then got realistic and settled on 4, and now is thinking 2 - but still wavers with 3. Seriously because we are waiting now I think my verdict may be still 4. But who knows. Life takes us so many wonderful places and I am so happy to be planted where I am. I love life right now. I have a life right now. I love my kid, my hubs, my new home, my neighbourhood (LOVE my neighbourhood) I love the routine.
So that's it. no kiddies unless something sneaks by me, for a wee bit longer. Even though all our friends are having their first and seconds, we just are not there yet, and finally we are damn happy about it.

So to you peeps who keep asking if I am pregnant, no, I am not, that's just my gut hanging out, no baby, just belly..... now if you'll excuse me I have some Ice Cream to deal with.

Making it work....

When people constantly ask me when I am returning to work I tell them I'm not. But that's not really true, that's an easy (or also not so easy way out) of a long conversation.
Most people seem surprised.
Others just accept it and move on.
I usually go away feeling like I gyped myself a wee bit out of who I am.
So what do I do.
I stay at home ( actually that is really such a wrong wrong term to use, because we really are rarley home) but I take care of my Cole during the day. I also take care of Coles good Friend J once a week while his mom teaches Violin lessons.
I now have a job teaching Theatre classes to kids on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and sing for the occasional wedding or funeral. I also am part of a Theatre troupe with Jer that performs a Kids show in the spring to many schools in the lower mainland as well as out of town. I rehearse once a week for this closer to the dates of the show. I also take Tap class and sing in a choir once a week as well.
But all this is too much for the average person to take in.
So I find myself uncrediting myself and just say, I stay home.
I really do wonder why people do this. Other people I know are proud to say they work, proud that they can " do it all" and I wonder why others who are unconventional in their work don't give themselves the credit they deserve.....
hmmmmmm I feel much better now thank you.

anni up

only 2 more weeks until our 5 year anni, and this is the very first year we are NOT heading to the most magical place on earth (Tofino) to celebrate. Sadly there is just not enought money in the bank this year, soooooo we are heading to my aunties very rustic sleeping cabin, outdoor shower, and composting outhouse on Galiano for the weekend, and I think it will be wonderful! Cole will be able to play on the beaches at the lakes, and we can explore the island fully this time since we are not biking on this time we are bringing our car. Can't wait, but I am still a wee bit sad that I won't be seeing my mackenzie beach this year.....

zee weeklies...

Coffees: 18
Hours of sleep: 27
Chompers busting through my babies gums: 2
Playdates that required me removing beloved unsharable toy: 2
Kitchen cleaning rampage: 1
Bedrooms that are absolutley unlivable in at the present moment:1
Parents extatic about it being friday night lola night:2
Kid extatic about it being friday night lola night:1
Books read: .34 still working on the family and the red tent
Movies watched: 1 Cassonova with Heath - wee bit slow but fun
Late charges at library paid: 5 bucks worth
Times we watched sesame street kareoke:87

Enjoy your weekends peeps....

To Grandmothers house we go....

Tommorow is Friday. HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH.
I love my boy. Dearly. And I love spending every week with him. But I also can't wait to drop him at Lola's tommorow night and just come home, eat greasy take out with the hubs and watch Juno. Lame, I know, but I am oh so stoked.
If I could possibly get everything on my list done for tommorow that would be even better. But I doubt it.
Hey what do you get for someone who has everything but means everything to you, but you don't got a lot of cash to spend, meaning you want to get the best gift possible for a wee amount of change...
stuck, am I.
Okay crap tv, I'm heading into my disaster of a bedroom and reading....to tonic
koop out

Summer Lovin had me a blast, summer lovin happened so fast.....

*Fall will always and forever remain my truest most favorite and oh so wonderful seson.

But Summer... oh summer, we have had fun, but I can see you slipping slipping slipping slowly away. The evenings are cooler, the days shorter, and I believe this will be the last big summer weekend in summer events for us.
Summer has always held a special place in my heart. Not because of the hot sunny days (I hate the HOT) or because the sun stays out longer ( I much prefer dark candlelight fall evening listing to sarah, drinking a great wine, and breathing the cool crisp air of fall) but regardless, it is still a special time. Special because the summer of 2001 ( I think) was probably the most funest and most enjoyable season EVER for me. It was the summer I had finally ended a pathetically degraded and worthless relashionship of 4 years with a moron (don't blame me he hid this fact from me for like 3 years and 364 days) the world was my oyster, I considered becoming a lesbian, I joined the cast of Grease, I stayed out till 2 am every night after rehearsals were over ( mostly just laying on the beach with some of the funest people i have ever met playing guitar) and still got up at 5 for work,I was introduced to Dave Matthews and will never be the same again, I experienced life and the way I always want to live it for the first time, I realized you don't have to be normal ( and actually it's way better to not be) I figured out you do not need a 9-5 job with good pay and benefits ( that sucks your soul) to be fulfilled, that you need a lot less money than you think to be truly happy, that you do not need a huge house to raise a family, that you can do ANYTHING your heart desires and you put your mind to, that their are very generous only children out there, oh and I met Jer.
So summer still holds that nostalgic feeling of that first true summer for me, if that makes any sense. So as I do so look forward to fall and all it brings, I still bid goodbye to this summer with a wee bit of regret, did I do everything I hoped to have done? No, but there really isn't ever going to be enough hours in the day to, but I still think it was pretty smashing. Here are a few pic's from today.... auntie Caitlin and Uncle paul came for a one day visit from Calgary and after lunch we headed out to the crazy cool park they built by my parents house (No plastic! It's all raw materials) and took some pics.... enjoy, tommorow the PNE!

how'd ya like them apples..........

I won't talk about it, in fear of jinxing it, but let's just say we are aquiring more than 4 and a half hours sleep straight in a night......holding breath..... and not saying anything more...
okay so this being the true last long weekend of summer, we're booked. Jessie has left today, Caitlin and Paul get in any hour now, Brunches are to be had, movies to be watched, kettle corn to be consumed, and Many baby animals to be petted, birthday cake to be eaten, and songs to be singing, and right now there is one dirty flat to clean up before nap time.... I will leave you with some pictures of our apple picking adventure in my parents backyard the other evening!

Bye Bye Auntie Jessie.....

Last night we said goodbye to auntie Jessie. She leaves Friday morning for T.O. For about two years. This is going to be very hard for me to have both my sisters gone. I often feel like that looser in the Dixie Chicks song, when they sing "Living in the same zip code as their parents do..." Sometimes I wonder if I should have ventured somewhere on our own, our own little family that is.... Wishing Jessie loads of luck and a nice cozy winter!

Wednesdays

we were up every hour last night..... on the hour. It was hell.
But it was all worth it when I woke up to a sweet little boy giving kisses to his mommy and daddy to get them up outta bed!

This morning we had a lovley coffee and banna muffin morning at our friend and neighbors across the pool! And we started on making those bibs I have been trying to do for ever but since i have no sewing skills at all have needed some guidance! It is soooo wonderful to do something with my hands, I have been craving doing scrap booking but with cole around just not going to happen!
Anyways house is a disaster and we have an afternoon playdate and then dinner with daddy and then on to auntie jessie's to say goodbye before she leaves for T.O
Sad, but then we get to see Auntie Caitlin on Friday!
But now both aunties and sister's will be in different provinces and I am pretty darn sad about this. Skype will be getting a lot of action I'm sure.

Naps

We're working on them, trying to keep nap time similar to night time. Wee bit of boobie, then books and teeth brushing then into bed awake and out. Night time, no problem, Naps...... that's another story. Today I gave in (boobie till eyes out) I was just too darn tired of the screams, and had so many things running through my head of what i needed to get accomplished during the precious 1 hour I get to myself. First priority: Clean the filthy kitchen. Check. Second: Blog ( I have decided this is nessesary for my sanity. Facebook makes me angry latley. This seems to have a nice calming effect on me and I feel like I have vented, yet am still connected, you know?
Anyways next priority was to clean up my closet. Thanks to my dear dear friend Cheryl I inherited some lovely sweaters and a couple skirts yesterday. Jer also lucked out with some of JP's old pants ( and by old I mean mabye MABYE worn twice (he probably had em out on the line and didn't like the way the smelt) some still had tags on! I love hand me downs LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM! But I think that will have to wait. because next up is reading a bit of "the family" by Mario Putzo. or watching the entire first season of Tudors so I am all ready for season two that starts this upcoming week i believe! You know, I think I will just take a nap instead
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

28 years

The Numbers:
1: Night of 4 minute sleep
1: Night out in the woods
1: Child who has discovered camping is the best possible thing in the world
173: Dollars spent on the most delicous and enjoyable dinners shared by some seriously sleep deprived parents
4: Blocks walked carrying my beautiful birthday shoes from Irene
5: Compliments on beautiful birthday shoes in the 5 hours I had them on
1: Bottles of wine
12: Different types of desserts consummed this weekend
1: Night of 7 hours of sleep (uninterupted by screaming child)
372: Times my child giggled and laughed at all his crazy relatives yesterday
6: Cups of Coffee consumed
148: Lovley birthday wishes given
2: Movies watched, Rainman and the new X-Filed
9: Sci Fi geeks attending x-files all by their lonsome
3: women who either got dragged by their sci fi geek partner, or just wanted to see the x-files
4: Loads of laundry done
17: Washed diapers
3: bags of groceries bought
4758,90999: Hours of Elmo digested
456: Kisses Given by my beautiful son

Lost

missing:

white gold ring
beautiful centre round diamond
four leaf shaped peridots surround
held up in front it looks like a tulip....

owner is distraught, depressed and cannot for the life of her even remember the last time she had it on, therefore is having a hell of a time locating it...

If it isn't found....
what are ya'll suggestions.... do i replace it (the only way i would is to make an exact replica) or leave it? or what..... has anyone had this happen to them... or a friend.... i need some assurance i am not the only dufus on the planet....
okay enough with the .....'s
send finding vibes my way PLEASE!!!!