Redekop Update

Dear Hot Mama,

2012-01-21T23:44:00.001-08:00

You don't realise it at the time, but when you have a baby everyone else who had a baby around the same time is now in your posse. You think that you will stay in touch with your non mom friends. But soon they get tired of talking about your breasts in a food production sense. They don't see what is so facinating about mustard seed new born poop and there is a good chance that they want to kick you in the junk everytime you launch into your birthing war story.

So you find new friends through public health groups, community centres and through other new moms. These are now your people. You will remember these women like they are family. You will see them at the mall 5 years later and give them a hug because they were there for all the horrible stories and first bop on the head and first tooth. Your dog may have licked the germaphobe's kid but its all cool. This is where you belong.

You remember their kids names (if not theirs). You recognise random kids at the park or ice rink. This is because you were there in their first year of life. These are the bonds that stick. I met my best friend 9 years ago because she was wearing a pair of maternity capris that I had on as well. Our 'babies' were born 1 day apart (one 10 days late, one 10 days early).

You share the rough patches with these sisters.You debate name choice, ambivelant husbands, sibling rivalry, sugar vs. Nutra sweet, hormone releasing bottles and the issue of blocked milk ducts. I know these people better than I know some of my family.

2 years ago someone in my Hot Mama community got the devastating news that she had an aggressive form of breast cancer. Her children are the same ages as my #1 & #3. Her diagnosis scared the crap out of me. I immediately booked a breast exam and began compulsively checking for lumps. She had a lump but because she was breast feeding her son she was told that it was probably a blocked milk duct. I began thinking of Jackie and crying. She is from my home town and our mothers work & play together. While she and I are not 'friends' in the usual context, she is my community by default due to the ties that bind us in motherhood.

Jackie has fought her aggressive cancer with everything in her arsenal. She has undergone every treatment and taken her fight to Germany to get specialised chemo therapy. In the last few months it has seemed like the cancer is taking over. While her determination to beat this has not waned, the cancer is attacking her body on so many levels. Jackie's story is not mine to tell - but her fight hits me in the gut then punches me in the face. This is real.

I think of her boys. Her high school love who also happens to be her husband and partner. I think of her brother and sister. I think of her mom. All of her friends and colleagues who have supported her family through this. I think of all the mothers who gasp when they hear her story because they know that by the grace of God there go they.

On a blog entry about a year ago Jackie commented that she knew that she needed to get things ready for her children in case she did not survive this disease. I do not know where she found the strength between fighting all of this and having hope and then dealing with the reality that she needed to DO SOMETHING so her boys remember her. They are 7 & 3. Where do you start? How do you write down everything that you would have taught them over the years? How do you find the strength between all the other stuff to make it happen? How do you leave your mark as a mother on a 3 year old? How do you cope with the overwhelming grief that you will not be there to see them grow into the wonderful caring people they are bound to become? How can your community keep your spirit alive?

We all die. This is not a question. But some deaths are timely and expected. Others happen way too soon before your work is done. It is up to the world around your family to keep memories alive. Treat each other with respect and caring. You simply do not know what they have endured to be here today.

I wish strength to her and to her family. I am praying for a miracle for my fellow Hot Mama.

Farewell Aunty Vicky,

2011-10-30T22:32:00.001-07:00

Sometimes there are people who enter your life at a very young age and you just know that they are special. They are thoughtful and meaningful and never make you feel like you are not welcome. They stay in your heart forever. They may never know how often you think of them because you don't pick up the phone and call or write often or stop by... but you know by the tear in your soul how important they were to you.

I know that it is a bit of a contradiction to say that you are surprised when someone who is almost 90 years old passes away... but the suddenness and permenance of death is always a shock. It feels like a sharp correction to remind you that life is moving along and nothing stays the same.

I will sit here tonight and sip a cup of tea in memory of the woman who never made me feel like anything less than her grandchild (even though I was her step grandchild). She never used those words and never had anything but kind words and encouragement. She was always so happy to see me (and I her). When I think of her all I see is a big warm smile and a hug.

I still have her recipe for warmed sweet buns (mamas Bulla) scrawled out in loopy handwritten note.

While I regret not getting out to see her during her last few years, I know why I did not. I knew that she had dementia and I did not want to see her and bear witness to the event of her not knowing who I was. I have experienced that with my other gramma and it is not how I want to remember my Aunty Vicky.

In the end I do not know if I made the right decision. But for now I will mourn the woman who she was and cherish my memories of her.

I know that you were greatly loved Aunty Vicky and in your passing there will be a void that can not be filled.

Dear Post Thanksgiving Ugh,

2011-10-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. I don't like turkey. Ever. I will eat it as a sandwich meat ONLY because it is the most low fat low calorie sandwich meat. I dream of the day we go 'Italian' on a thanksgiving and make three different kinds of lasagna. But until that blessed day I must endure the turkey...

This year I bought a fresh turkey at Costco. Great idea. Was able to brine the bird (first time - squee!) . It was a success. HWSNBN, who can rarely muster any enthusiasm, proclaimed it fabulous (although not able to be entirely happy went on to lament the fact that the turkeys never cook on time like all the websites say... BUT before he complained about that he said he liked how juicy the turkey was. Score one for me... it was my idea and I did all the work except toe get the guts out (actually I am at about 814 to his 9. But who's counting?)

After the brining I noticed that there were some 'bits' coming out of the bird. Turns out that the brining puffed out the flesh so that the remaining feather roots poked through... CUE yuk sac. So I spent the next 10 minutes picking them out. Could have cried but could not feed family bird with feathers still on it. Pick, pluck, pick, pluck.... f&cking hate turkeys.

Had the family over minus some members due to being out of town, illness and work. It was really nice. HOWEVER I can't help but be amazed that after all that prep the dinner was complete after 30 minutes. WHAT???

Grocery shopping for thanksgiving dinner 4 hours
brining prep 1 hour (had to locate vat large enough & clear out fridge
brining 24 hours
cooking 5 hours (should have been 4 according to websites..... grrrr)

And then POOF all done in 30 minutes. Goodbyes have taken longer at the airport than it took my family to scarf down dinner.

Next year we are going European and celebrating with lasagna. No feathers and less prep. Amen.

Dear Mean Girl Muffia,

2011-09-06T14:09:00.001-07:00

I refer to the Muffia at my kids school often - but stumbled across a blog post by hockemomblog.net which accurately describes the phenomemon.

"I know you have a Muffia at your school, club, church, neighborhood association or sports league; the group of moms who seek power and prestige through getting in with the teachers, chairing committees and claiming parking spots. They travel in packs and make sure their children do as well.

For those who are wondering: Who are the Muffia? How do I spot them? Is there a Muffia uniform? I give you a quick Muffia Hierarchy:

1.) Associate: A Workout, Yoga or Tennis Outfit...she's not quite as "into it" as the rest of the Muffia, mostly because she is so busy with her training schedule. She is forever in her workout clothes just to remind you that she is better than you, and has just come from the gym.

2.) The Foot Soldier: Style varies depending on her schedule. She is busy keeping up with her little ones and reporting to all the duties the Capo ropes her into. She is often found on set up/clean up duty at events. Not all foot soldiers become Capos, plenty happily volunteer for years without any aspirations of power. Others drop out altogether.

3.) Capo: Cardigan, bootcut jeans, Dansko clogs, Vera Bradley bag with plenty of pens...she's been around long enough to carry an important folder to school pick up. It's full of committee notes to be passed to the Boss, or some other such nonsense. Her chief duties are furthering the agenda of the Boss, whatever that might be that week.

4.) Consigliere (Underboss): The closest confidante of the boss. She will usually be the most attractive one of the bunch, and the wealthiest. She was chosen for this position by the boss for these qualities. She is dressed well, carries a Luis Vuitton bag, wears Ray Bans and drives a shiny SUV. She goes on glamorous vacations and talks about them loudly. She makes the Boss seems fancy by association.

5.) The Boss: She is the quintessential Mean Girl. She was picked on as a teenager and has decided to make sure this never happens to her own children. She ensures this by yielding extreme power over other mothers, teachers, the principal. She ensures her children are in the right class, on the right teams, with the right children. She chooses her husband's friends. The Boss believes her children are entitled to the best of everything and that her purpose is to make sure they get it. The rest of us are just in the way.

How to deal with the Muffia, you ask? Well that, my friends, is a story for another day. Tomorrow, I promise.

To Be Continued.... http://hockemomblog.net"

Hats off to you www.hockemomblog.net for a great summary.

Dear First Time Mom,

2011-09-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hello! So good to hear from you! Hope you are not too puffy & can still fit into your shoes!

Here is the low down on my labours:

L - water broke at 39 weeks. because I was strep B + I had to go to the family birthing unit (which should be renamed She Who Roared Unit) right away and get hooked up to some petocin to start the contractions. That was horrific as the contractions were coupling & I could not catch my breath.

Cue the anesthetologist! I had my epidural and everything was puppies and balloons. I pushed for about 2 hours once I was fully dialated but nothing... everyone who did an internal exam went up to their elbows and said 'Baby too High!'.

L. never came into the birth canal and ended up being a csection. Which was kind of gross as I was injured from all the pushing (and yes you will poop and vomit {definately poop due to the pushing} - vomitting can happen when you transition from one stage of labour to the end stage) and had my section scar (which is technically 'bikini safe' however that can never be proven as no 'regular' women have ever worn a bikini after children).

It's all very UNSEXY and it is amazing that people have more than one baby.

R: super gross. Water broke again without contractions. He was bron at 33 weeks so the c section went through thicker muscle and joy of joys I also got an infecton in the incision.

E: water broke 37 weeks. Scheduled c-section although got bumped off the OR table by some junkie who took a bunch of cocaine and went into early labour with a baby heart beat over 200. So while waiting for the OR to turn around I started to have contractions on my own... it was okay and they grew more intense every cycle. But you are not allowed to 'labour' for your third c section as it is very dangerous for baby and you due to placenta abruption. So wisked in for the c section. It was my BEST section and I felt like Posh Spice (minus the concrete tits).

Okay so just re read this and have deemed myself a c section expert and a vaginal birth 'tard.

So here is my c section words of wisdom:

- spinal anesthisia is horrific but no one even pretends that a needle in the spine is a walk in the park. Honesty is nice.

- baby is born quickly and your partner can watch baby being born and will likely be given baby to bring to your face.

- it can take a while for the spinal to wear off. In BC they keep you in the recovery room until you can feel the ice on your chest. Baby usually stays with mom and they encourage you to start breast feeding & snuggling skin on skin.

- you will have a tube for pee (can't recall the name right now...) but nothing makes the pee bag classy so don't even try. Cathetar! It stays for about 24 hours and it is a mind over matter thing to get your body to pee on demand. And then you have an Austin Powers pee due to the fact that your bladder finally has space to stretch out.

- your breast milk might be delayed in coming in if you have a section. Might come in on day 3 or 4 as opposed to day 2 or 3 with a vaginal birth. MAKE the lactation consultants stay with you and teach you about latch. It can be like a lunar docking. Tiny baby - big boob. Try the football hold if the cross body hold doesn't work. Nurses will know what this is.

- you still bleed alot after a c section (not at the incision but vaginally). Someone told me that they shop vacced when they did a c section but that never happened for me for any of my sections. Prepare with BIG pads. Hospital will have some but make sure you have some for home.

- you cramp as your uterus goes back to size.

- take deep breaths every 15 minutes (or as often as you can remember) as this will help with any shoulder pain (air trapped when they sew you back up) and will ensure your lungs are reaching capacity.

- they will give you a morpine bollus before you leave the OR. You will feel AMAZING for about 24hours (then you get itchy) and you will be getting out of bed, moving furniture around, etc). then day 2 hits and you want to cry and cry and cry because you realise someone actually cut open your belly. And it hurt. You can use tylenol and advil at the same time but I always found that advil worked best for surgical pain. Okay for baby as it is only for a few days and your milk will not be in full force.

- watch for infection at your incision - it will be a red 'creeping' up or down your torso. It's not good but they have great antibiotics that you can take. You might get staples - which are great unless you have an allergy.

- you will sneeze or laugh when the morphine has worn off and it willl HURT. You will be amazed at how often you sneeze in real life.

I felt 'recovered' from my sections about a week later. Take all the help you can get. Sleep when baby sleeps.

oh my goodness - this sounds scary! But no matter what the delivery is over quickly and the real scary stuff starts... parenting!

I hope it all goes well! Thinking about you and can't wait to get the update.

Dear School District 36 (Surrey),

2011-06-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

HWSNBN mentioned that you called last evening regarding the incident yesterday when Darth Vader moved the chair on Luke Skywalker and he subsequently fell backwards and hit his head. Luke is very clear how this incident took place. He states that Darth pushed his light sabre off the table and when Luke leaned over to get his items Darth moved his chair so that he fell backwards. Darth made some sarcastic remarks to Luke (such as ... "ohhhhhh your light sabre fell.......).

This is not the first time Darth has been involved in specifically targeting Luke. In December I observed Darth purposely trip Luke. Darth was sitting in the chair closest to the inside door. When Luke passed to go to the library Darth stuck his foot out and tripped him. This was deliberate and Obi Wan Kenobi address it with Darth.

Somewhere along the way this child has been given the messaging that his behaviour is acceptable and tolerable. I recall that the Surrey School district has a policy of zero tolerance when it comes to bullying - however Luke has had his incidents of bullying minimized and on several occasions he has been assigned blame. I believe that by assigning blame to the bullying victim you only empower the child who has assaulted the other child. Perhaps this is where some of the messaging that Darth's behaviour is acceptable is coming from.

The behaviour that Darth has displayed to Luke is just mean and very typical behaviour of a child trying to gain acceptance from another child in his peer group. As an educator you are well aware that these tendencies do not bode well for that child's ongoing positive social development. I am speaking of the gang mentality between the 3 Republic boys. Any child who would purposely hurt another younger child while trying to gain the acceptance of a peer should be a growing concern to the adults around him.

We have been very clear to Luke that he is responsible for his own behaviour and not the behaviour of those around him. With this as our background we are teaching our son to be responsible for his actions.

Neither Yoda, Obi Wan Kenobi or myself observed the incident yesterday. I believe Luke's recollection of events as he has nothing to gain from telling an inaccurate story. The other children involved do have something to gain by minimizing their involvement or observations.

I am not convinced that consensus building conflict resolution is the best way of addressing bullying at this age / grade level. The children are still at a juncture were they believe in teacher and parental authority. They need to be advised about which behaviours are acceptable and which are not. There is no grey area when dealing with this kind of issue - the messaging needs to be consistent and clear. That kind of behaviour will not and should not be tolerated.

These are teaching moments for every child in a classroom. Unfortunately for Darth Vader, he learned yesterday that if your friends fib and you lie about an incident then you will get away with your mean spirited actions. Luke Skywalker has learned that people will get away with harming him and humiliating him in class even when he speaks out and tells the truth.

I am wholly disappointed in the reaction from the school in regards to the bullying going on in the classroom and on the playground this year. This latest event is just another example of how some children believe that they have the right to dominate and harass and embarrass other kids. This belief is not being challenged by the authority figures in the class and it repeats itself again and again and again.

I am also aware of the fact that I am continually being called to the school to deal with the aftermath of SOMEONE else's kids bad / assaultive behaviour. It is my son coming home early due to being punched in the head, being pushed into a puddle, stomped on or caused to fall and hit his head while the offender walks off and enjoy the rest of the day. Perhaps their parents are not even being notified that their child has assaulted another kid in class. For the record sometimes saying sorry is not enough to absolve a child for a bullying behaviour. 'Sorry' is an empty statement if it is not followed up with positive actions and change in behaviour.

In short I am not impressed and hope that next year bring a more stringent adherence to the Zero Tolerance around bullying.

Sincerely,
Just a Mom in a Galaxy Far Far Away

Dear Ambition (where art thou?),

2011-06-22T22:54:00.001-07:00

It seems like just yesterday I could not sleep at night due to my ambition. It would keep me up at night - dreaming up ways that I could change the world. I had so many ideas and a naive notion that I alone could pursuade change through conversation. I had plans to write the LSAT, I had plans to travel, I had plans to be a one person change machine.

Today I am exhausted by the seemingly full time job of keeping my three kids alive (despite their valient efforts to tempt fate). Don't put that into a light socket, Don't climb up that structure, Don't eat THAT, Put your seat belt on (repeated to the same child at least 3x a day), Look both ways before you RUN out into traffic! That doesn't BELONG there, YOU need to put that stick down, Where is your helmet? Linden? Everly? Rowan? SOMEONE answer me before I call 911!!!!!

I wonder, when they are all squared away into the false safety of adolecense, if ambition will visit me again? I hope so. I miss it.

Dear Alzheimer's Disease,

2011-06-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

I don't think that I have properly thanked you. It is probably very rare that you get a note indicated someone's gratitude... however I am thankful for the gifts your illness has provided to my family.

In the 1980s my grandmother became very dissolutioned by her family. Her dedicated husband died too early and she was left a widower. She had two grown children with whom she developed a conflicted relationship with. It has been mused that my Pappa kept her grounded and reminded her about what was really important in life. But when he passed she edged closer and closer to a religion that encouraged her to disown her children (and by association she lost touch with several of her grandchildren). In the end she was estranged from both of her kids.

Despite being repeatedly rebuffed, my gramma's children persisted in contacting her. One fateful day my sister stopped in and was able to drive my gramma and her friend to a doctors appointment. It was there that we learned that my gramma had Alzheimer's disease. She was slowly forgetting the tasks of everyday life. Upon further investigation it was discovered that she had been in ill health for some time.

Gramma slowly forgot why she was estranged from her family. Or perhaps she remembered but recognised that they loved her and they would take care of her in her time of need. I like to think she chose to follow the genuine love her children harboured for her than the fear her religion used.

She does not remember who I am, she frequently calls me by my mother's name. This is too bad as I was her first grandchild and I have many fond memories of her up till the age of 7 or 8. However those are my memories now to keep. Sadly I also have the memory of her refusing to attend my wedding.

For all the heartache I am greatful that my Gramma has allowed us back into her life. Her son and daughter have been tireless in their care of her over the last four years and will continue to care for her with the same tenderness she showed them when they were young.

I do not want to underestimate the devastation that Alzheimer's wreaks on a family or an individual. But for my family it has been an opening for reconciliation.

Thank you.

Some crazy days and nights

2011-06-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

I have been reminded lately through work what a lucky person I am. I have three busy healthy children, a wonderful husband who seems to be aging in reverse, a dedicated caregiver to my kids, a great dog and 2 'kind of' great cats (if not for the throwing up and bird catching they would be great without the kind of)...

I was reminding my 7 year old son, who is having some trouble with some friends at school, that this too shall pass. I reminded him about all the wonderful things that he has in his life starting off with his family, his home, his community, his province and all of his freedoms. I don't quite think that he gets it yet - but in time I hope that he will think of all these gifts that he has and it will help him get through the rough times. He is a pretty lucky kid.

I am always cognisant of how we are fragile but resilient. So many things can go wrong - but mostly they don't. You will have more good days than bad, you will have more wonderful dreams than nightmares and you are loved by many people whether you are aware of it or not.

Today I am grateful.

James Cardno - a predator in our midst

2011-05-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

"James Cardno, 46, was charged in March with eight sex crimes against four children. Surrey RCMP issued a warning Tuesday morning that the accused child molester is living in Fraser Heights while he awaits his court hearing next month.
Photograph by: submitted, for Surrey NOW"

So I received an email from my local school indicating that there was an 'Important' letter that I needed to read. Inside I found that they were telling parents about a pedeophile who was living in our neighbourhood.

While they did not identify him a quick google search found the first article and a picture.

Here is what I do not understand: JAMES CARDNO was arrested by Surrey RCMP in March 2011. It is now MAY! For the last 8 weeks this child sex offender has been living in my neighbourhood.

In this day and age of mass communication tools this is unacceptable. Surrey RCMP could have and should have warned the residents of Fraser Heights that this dirt bag was living here. He could be renting a basement suite. He could be living in a room and board situation where he has ample access to kids.

He could be scoping out his next victim at the Rexall or Nester food market. He could be nestled into the tree line at any of the 5 elementary schools watching.

Pedeophilia is not curable and I am seriously angry that Surrey RCMP decided that they did not have tell parents about a predator in their midst. There are enough dangers that we do not know about lurking around the corner.

As a parent I worry about my kids playing outside and do not allow them to without supervision.

It is reprehensible that Surrey RCMP KNEW about a potent risk to my children and did not tell me or any other parent in this community.

Shame on JAMES CARDNO for being a sick pedeophile and ruining children's lives. And shame on the Surrey RCMP for delaying releasing this dirt bag's name and location.

You can call the Surrey RCMP and let them know how annoyed you are about their 2 month delay in announcing this guy's name. But I suspect the real issue is the fact that Crown Counsel sat on the information and did not give charge approval (which allows the RCMP to publish warnings) for 2 months.

Call your local MP and let them know how you feel about having a sex offender in your neighbourhood without knowledge. For Fraser Heights that is Nina Grewal (Con) and she can be reached at 604-501-5900.

Shut Up and Sit the F&ck down Carol Berner

2010-11-17T11:02:00.000-08:00

Oh where to start with this gong show?

Carol Berner is the Delta resident who drove intoxicated and piled into 4 year old Alexa Middelaer while she fed a horse on a rural road. Alexa died and her aunt was seriously injured.

Carol Berner is also the mother of a convicted killer (her son was found guilty in October 2010 of killing a fellow bus traveller).

Ms. Berner was found guilty of impaired driving causing death, impaired driving causing bodily harm, dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm in the 2008 crash.

Ms. Berner is appealing her sentence and conviction. She is complaining that her civil rights were trampled on when Delta police left her locked in the back of the squad car at the scene of the accident. What she FAILS to tell you is that she was put in the back of the car because the police officer in charge of her drunk ass was looking for Alexa Middelaer's brother at the scene. So sorry Ms. Berner that you had to WAIT while a police officer searched for an 8 year old boy who was lost at the scene of his sister's death.

Words can barely describe what a waste you are Ms. Berner. You are a drunk, a liar and a really horrible person. You KILLED this little girl and were sentenced to 2.5 years.... surely most of your peers would have sentenced you to LIFE. You should have taken that 2.5 years and served your piddly time. But instead you are going to drag this out and force the Middelaer family to keep this wound open. I hope your lawyer is charging you a significant amount of money.

I vomit a bit every time I see your smug face in the newspaper.

So tell me what value she has to us as a community? She has raised a murderer, she has killed a 4 year old girl, she has wasted thousands of dollars in court time and fees, she has poked the Middelaer family every step of the way.. and now we are allowing her appeal her conviction and paltry sentence.

There is little chance for rehabilitation. Ms. Berner is a paraiah who we should all be protected from. While her words to the Middelaer family were eloquent at her sentencing, her actions have raped those words of condolence and bastardised back to serve her own purpose.

I believe that the judiciary has the option to INCREASE a sentence when an convict appeals a sentence. The sword cuts both ways and Ms. Berner might face the possibility of being assessed MORE time. As clearly 2.5 years for this old shrew is not enough.

Oh and Mr. Tarnow (counsel for Ms. Berner) I do hope that you are charging Ms. Berner a lot of money for this defense as surely your own reputation is swirling around the sink as hers is.

So please just go away Carol. I have enough reminders every day that evil exists in our world. A reprieve from seeing your face would be very welcome. However you seem incapable of doing the right thing.

Maternal Health - Shut up and SIT DOWN Stephen Harper.

2010-04-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

So there is going to be a big meeting of the 'Big' G8 countries in Ontario in June. They are going to be discussing Maternal Health in the developing world. These countries have the highest maternal mortality rates and the highest infant mortality rates. The reasons for these high rates of death are varied in each country. It is generally acknowledged that one of the key factors in the mortality statistics has to do with the access a woman has to health care during her reproductive years.

For some reason the Prime Minster of Canada has made a statement that his government will only fund such Maternal Health initiatives that do not include abortion.

Ahhhhh.... wait a minute. Canadian women and most other women in the developed world have access to health care on demand and have access to all kinds of reproductive interventions (from abortion to fertility treatments). So what Stephen Harper is really saying is that poor women who are subjected to sexual violence in their homelands, rampant HIV infection, intermitten starvation and relatively few oppourtunities to access health care do not deserve the same choices as Western women. Hmmm....

Or is Stephen Harper showing his cards about how his conservative government would behave if they were actually in a majority in parliament? I kind of hope that he is showing his true colours and Canadians overwhelmingly vote him out or into another minority government because we will not tolerate his Right wing conservative agenda.

I have always been pro choice. This does not mean pro abortion. It means that I believe in individual choice. This was reinforced when I was pregnant for the first time. We were excited, it was a planned pregnancy and we knew that it was going to change our lives forever. But it got me thinking about all the women who fell pregnant due to sexual assault, poor planning and various other reasons. If someone did not want to be pregnant it really was a terrible sentence to have them remain so for 9 months.

Ironically one of the reasons why the maternal mortality is high in the developing world is due to the fact that many women access illegal abortions. These women are not choosing abortion because another child is 'bothersome'. They are choosing it to save the children that they have given birth to as sometimes one more is too much of a burden on a starving family. They are choosing abortion because rape is a common tactic of war. They are choosing abortion because they themselves are sick with HIV and knnow that another pregnancy will shorten thier own lives and create orphans.

But the why should not matter. Women in developed worlds have a choice. And truthfully if you can't trust me to make a choice then how can you trust me to care for a child?

Maternal Health funding needs to include all forms of medical intervention available to women. This includes birth control, proper prenatal care, proper post natal care, PAP smears and abortion.

The statement of the Canadian government regarding Maternal Health does not reflect the core values and rights that Canadian women themselves have.

So SHUT UP and SIT DOWN Mr. Harper.

Grateful Journal Entry

2010-04-20T14:47:00.001-07:00

I am grateful today that I do not follow through on my desire to kick people who deserve to be kicked.

I am grateful today that I didn't find anything at Gap that I loved and NEEDED to have.

I am grateful today that I have three healthy, cheeky and active children.

A Terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist.

2010-04-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

In grade 12 I had a history teacher who used to state: A Dictator is a dictator, is a dictator... as though this explained everything that one needed to know about an indivdual...

I went ont to get a BA in European History and I agree with my old high school teacher. Sometimes things are that simple. Sometimes and Asshole is an asshole is an asshole. I probably could have written a masters paper on this theory....

In 1985 a bomb went off on Air India 182. The airplane, carrying 329 people (mostly Canadians), plunged from the sky off the coast of Ireland. Everyone on board was killed. It was soon revealed that this bomb and a twin bomb that went off at Narita Airport (which killed 2 baggage handlers).

This is Canada's worst act of terrorism. The bombs were created in Duncan BC and loaded onto Air India jet planes in Vancouver BC. The bombs were made by terrorists (obviously) who wanted to settle a score for something that happened in India. For more information about the political issues I recommend reading Kim Bolan's book Loss of Faith: How the Air India Bombers Got Away With Murder.

This past weekend the Indo Candian community celebrated Vaisakhi. Prior to the celebration certain members of the community threatened 2 Canadian politicians that they would not be safe at the parade. Both of these politicians are Indo Canadian and both have stood up to these terrorist in the past (MLA Dave Hayer's father Tara Hayer was assasinated in his drive way due to knowledge that he had about Air India and MP Ujjal Dosanjh was severely beaten for standing up to the terrorists).

Many provincial Liberals boycotted the event due to the association with the terrorist group and the fact that a parade float would be there which had pictures of 'martyrs' for Khalistan. Once Mayor Diane Watts saw the parade float she left, disgusted. MP Sukh Dhaliwal stayed - for unknown reasons but for which he should be disciplined by his party leader Michael Ignatieff.

Remember - Air India bombers KILLED Canadians. And yet somehow we have allowed these Asshats to have a float in a parade with pictures of aforementioned terrorists.

This is akin to a float being driven with an Ode to Timothy McViegh in Oklahoma. Would that fly with the general public in the states? I THINK NOT.

So lets make sure that the City of Surrey knows that we are PISSED that they allowed a terrorist group to float a parade and wreck a nice family activity. Lets make sure that Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal knows that we are PISSED that he is such a pansy and didn't take a stand against terrorist.

And lets give Gordon Campbell, as much as it pains me politically, and his Liberal party big cheers for standing up to those TERRORISTS and not attending this event.

I heart Diane Watts at the best of times and applaud her comments and her willingness to leave this event when she realised what was going on.

I know that the majority of Indo Canadians do not want to be associated with these TERRORISTS. But by being silent and allowing them to parade around means that you are implicit to their deeds.

I remember the victims of Air India 182. I have faith that people in the Indo Canadian community remember these people as well and will not tolerate these TERRORISTS marring their community.

I have seen the footage - they pulled dead children out of the Atlantic Ocean in June of 1985. I have an image of a Royal navy helicopter pulling the body of a boy about 4 years old age out of the Atlantic. He was naked because the force of the plane falling out of the sky ripped his clothes from his body. They pulled mothers and fathers and babies. All dead. The Irish people and the Canadian and Indian people gather every year to acknowledge the waste.

Do not tolerate these TERRORISTS in our community. They are nothing more and nothing less than assassins of humanity.

Seriously - you can't guarentee the safety of 2 politicians at a family styled parade in Canada? Me thinks you are in the wrong country Inderjit Singh Bains. Perhaps you didn't read your pamphlet upon arrival - but EVERYONE here has the RIGHT to attend any public function without fear of being attacked.

Grafeful Journal

2010-04-17T23:29:00.000-07:00

Every mat leave my goal was to clean up the den and organise it.

I have had three years to do this (between naps, feedings, preschool runs, doctors appointments, etc). It never got done. Then we moved into a larger house with a small den.

During our move I found a journal that my roomie from university started. She called it a "Grateful Journal'. I hate to say it but I think that Oprah started it...

Anyway as you can see I have not been blogging for the last year or so... working full time, parenting full time and maintaining some sort of social life has cut into all my free 'blogging' time and frankly the only time I get to think about interesting topics is when I am driving. And blogging and driving is verboten..

So I thought that I would start again by creating a Grateful list and try to do it once every few days.

Today I am grateful for Colin Firth. He is a great actor and seems to embody that special charm which I find utterly attractive.

Today I am grateful for the wee bit of sunshine that we got which powered up my solar lights in the front yard.

Today I am grateful for Buffalo chicken dip. Delicious.

Protection is Relative

2010-04-17T23:14:00.000-07:00

Frequently I think about my job and how the idea of 'protection' is articulated and expected in societies. A co worker recently remarked after a trip to Africa that child welfare really is a relative concept and what we would consider protection here is not what one would consider child welfare there. It is sometimes hard to draw the line.

Which of course always brings me back to my own children. My protection of them is primal and does not require legislation. We have an optional parent teacher interview next week. Optional is kind of a funny way to characterise a parent teacher meeting. Especially with the grade one teacher at my son's school. Because obviously they are not saying what they need to be saying to the parents at the door as per their inane report card comments. So optional is really teacher slang for MANDATORY.

I first want to say that I have a lot of friends who are teachers (seriously - love you guys & I know that you work hard. Except in July and August...).

But really - my son has been in a grade one class that I just pray he makes it out of with his self esteem intact. And at our 'optional' parent teacher interview I will again be arguing for my son to receive some quality teaching and assessment. He is not special needs, he is a boy who was born in November. Which means that he is one of the youngest kids in his class of 42 (SERIOUSLY!!!).

At issue are his 'fine motor' skills. Which is a surprise to me as they never mentioned any issues during any of my weekly volunteer time in the class. Or everyday when I pick him up from school. Which brings me back to quality of teaching and communication. Trust that I will be bringing flow charts, cue cards and a pointer to make my self clear to these people.

And I need to make it work as I have two more children coming through this mega project classroom and I am not moving.

Protection is relative.

Low Voter Turnout - SHAME BC!

2009-05-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am still a bit dumbfounded that people didn't vote for themselves yesterday with BC-STV. But I am even more upset that the voter turnout hovered around 50%.

What is wrong with people? Don't you think that your voice matters? In Delta South 2 (TWO!!) votes separates the Liberals and an independent. TWO F&*KING VOTES!!!! Your voice mattered in South Delta.

But more importantly if you felt that your vote didn't matter then why didn't you vote to change the electoral system? You could have only voted in the referendum. You didn't have to vote for any candidate.

Now we have 8% of the population who voted for the Green Party but they will be unrepresented in the legislature. I should say that I did not vote Green - nor have I ever voted Green. But that doesn't mean that I don't believe those people should have their ideals represented in government.

So a big BOO HISS to everyone who didn't vote. And another BOO HISS to the voters that couldn't be bothered to vote for themselves with BC - STV.

I believe in Electoral Reform and I believe that it will be debated again.

A letter from Steve

2009-05-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit lost for words so I thought that I would publish Steve's letter to The Vancouver Sun.

'While the STV supporters failed to convince the voters of
the efficacy of proportional representation those in power
got what they want by 1) demonizing stv as something
that it is not and 2) convincing the voters that accountability
and hope for a more democratic future rest with the
tried and the failed, rather than the untried and the unknown.
Ironically the very thing that STV would have enhanced,
voter turnout, continued its woeful performance.
Congratulations may be in order to the scaremongers of
of the world; but I wonder if deep down anyone can
be happy with results that will never let us know if
STV would have worked. As well, a main factor in the
demise of STV seems to be that people refused to
"understand" it. In the end, in a democracy, who is
responsible for determining how to vote.
The government? StV proponents? or the voters.

Steven Faraher-Amidon'

STV Counting Explained

2009-05-11T12:24:00.001-07:00

BC-STV
Members of the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral
Reform have recommended BC adopt BC-STV for
future elections because it is a system in tune with
the values of a great many British Columbians.

BC-STV is fair because it produces
proportional results, it provides voters with
more choice and more control, and it
strengthens local representation. BC-STV is
designed to make every vote count.

BC-STV basics
· There are fewer ridings, each electing between
two and seven MLAs – depending on the
population of the riding. Because each riding
elects a number of MLAs, over-all results are
more proportional – that is, each party’s share
of seats in the riding reflects its share of votes.
· Generally, parties will put forward more than
one candidate in each riding – giving voters
more options.
· BC-STV does not change the number of
MLAs province-wide or the number of MLAs
representing each region.
· BC-STV ballots allow you to vote by ranking
candidates (1, 2, 3, etc).
· If your vote is not needed to elect your first
choice candidate, it can be transferred to the
candidate you marked on the ballot as your
second preference – and so on.
· BC-STV is designed to ensure vote counting
can be accurately checked and replicated.
· It is also designed to use ballot papers that can
be counted by hand or by machine.

Counting the ballots
Calculating the quota
To win a seat in the legislature, a candidate must
receive a minimum number of votes – called a
quota. This quota is calculated using the number
of valid ballots cast in the riding as well as the
number of MLAs to be elected in that riding.

Number of valid ballots in riding
Quota =
Number of MLAs in riding + 1 + 1

Counting first preferences
After the polls close, all valid ballots are sorted
and counted according to the first-preference
candidate marked on each.

Eliminating candidates
If no candidate has the minimum number of
votes (quota) needed to be elected, the candidate
with the fewest votes is eliminated.

All of the eliminated candidate’s votes are then
redistributed to the second-preference candidates
as marked on each ballot.

Transferring surpluses
It is rare for an elected candidate to gain exactly
the quota of votes required to be elected.
Successful candidates usually receive more
votes than needed to win a seat. Since these
surplus votes are not needed to elect the
candidate, they could be considered wasted.

But, because BC-STV is designed to make as
many votes as possible count fully and fairly,
these surplus votes are redistributed. But which
votes should be selected to redistribute?

To be fair and to ensure vote counting can be
precisely repeated, every ballot cast for the
newly elected candidate is redistributed to the
next-ranked candidate marked on each ballot.
But, not at full value, because a portion of each
vote has already been used to elect a candidate.

The portion of each vote used to give the elected
candidate a quota, stays with that candidate. The
unused portion is transferred. To determine
what fraction of the vote should move on to the
next preference, the transfer value is calculated.

Candidate’s surplus votes
Transfer Value =
Candidates’ total votes

So, if a winning candidate has twice as many
votes as needed to be elected, instead of
transferring half those votes at full value, all of
the votes are transferred at half value to the
candidates ranked next on each ballot. The
transfer value in this case is .5 – or ½.

Counting continues until all seats are filled
Counting continues as follows:
· The surpluses of elected candidates are
redistributed at the appropriate transfer value;
· If there are still unfilled seats and no surpluses
from elected candidates to redistribute, the
least popular candidate is eliminated and those
votes are redistributed at full value;
· This continues until all seats have been filled.

Exhausted ballots
If, in the course of counting, a ballot should be
transferred, but there are no more preferences
indicated on the ballot, it is considered
exhausted and is put aside.

This can happen when:
· The voter marks very few preferences, or
· All the preferred candidates have already been
elected and/or excluded.

By-elections
If a seat becomes vacant between elections, a
by-election is held in that riding to elect a new
MLA. BC-STV specifies that by-elections will
use the same type of ballot used in regular BC-
STV elections – called a preferential ballot.

If only one MLA is to be elected, candidates
require a majority of votes (50% + 1) to be
elected. If more than one vacancy is to be filled
in a district, the normal BC-STV vote counting
procedures and quota calculation are used.

Elections BC
As today, Elections BC will supervise elections
and scrutineers will ensure accurate ballot counts.

Further information
For a wealth of information on the Citizens’
Assembly, BC-STV or other electoral systems,
see www.citizensassembly.bc.ca. In particular,
for more detail on BC-STV ballot counting, see:
· the technical volume of the Final Report
· an animation of BC-STV ballot counting

1. Count voters’ first
preferences and allocate
these to each candidate
3. Does any
candidate
have enough
votes to be
elected?

4. Exclude last
placed candidate.
Redistribute those
votes to next
preferences
marked on ballots

Have
enough
MLAs
been
elected?
5. Distribute
the surplus of
all newly
elected MLAs
to remaining
preferences

Finish
2. Quota determined

Step 1
All the votes are counted and sorted by the voters’
first preferences.

Step 2
The minimum number of votes required to win a
seat is determined. This number depends on how
many valid votes are cast and how many MLA
seats are available to be filled.

Step 3
Does any candidate have enough votes to win a
seat? If no, go to Step 4.
If yes, go to Step 5.

Step 4
Exclude the candidate with the fewest votes.
Redistribute these votes – at full value – to the next
preference shown on each ballot.

Add up new vote totals and return to Step 3.

Step 5
If the successful candidate has more votes than
needed to win a seat, these surplus votes are
redistributed to the remaining candidates – at a
calculated transfer value – based on the next
preference listed on each ballot.

Add up new vote totals and return to Step 3.

Counting Continues…
Repeat Steps 3 to 5 until all seats are filled.
Adapted from www.dia.govt.nz

On the Cusp of Something Beautiful...

2009-05-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

We are about to make history in BC. We will either go down as the people who dared to change the system, or else we will forever be known as the province that failed to bring about change when we had the chance.

I hope that BC - STV get the super majority that it needs in order to change the way that politicians are elected in BC. It may not be the system of electoral change that you would want (MMP, Irish STV, etc) - but I trust the 160 randomly selected citizens from all the ridings & aboriginal groups that put all the time and effort into coming up through consensus BC - STV in 2004.

As some of you know my husband Colin (HWSNBN) was a part of the Citizen's Assembly that came to the agreement on STV. I still marvel at the fact that he was randomly selected and I was not. He really didn't have any passion for politics and barely stifled a yawn when I would natter on about social justice, aboriginal affairs and global economies. But he went to the Assembly faithfully and travelled around with them during their time together. He grew to respect others opinions and recognised that BC needed a change.

I remember that he would be gone for one weekend a month and went to Prince George on the travelling road show. HWSNBN is an intelligent guy. He is methodical and pays attention to detail. I know that he put effort into this process and BC - STV came about after a lot of debate and argument.

The fact that the 160 members of the Citizens Assembly voted 95% in favour of STV speak volumes to me. I work in a system that has professionals who can barely agree on anything - let alone 95% on something.

You have a chance to be a part of something big on Tuesday. You have the chance to rock the house on how we vote in BC. The establishment will not give you the chance again to vote on electoral reform. It is not in the interest of Big Political Parties like the NDP or the Liberals to have STV. It makes them work hard at election time to either be your first or second choice. It would create more grass roots candidates from each region.

If BC STV gets voted in a super majority (60% +) on tuesday I might even consider running for election.

And tell me this - PQ can vote on whether or not to leave Canada with a simple majority - but if BC wants a new electoral system it needs a super majority? Something is messed up there.

But we can do it together. We can change the way politicians are elected. This isn't a right or left issue (although it is lamentable that BC STV used the same colours as the NPS candidates). This is about making a change.

I believe in BC STV - do you?

VOTE VOTE VOTE!

Christy Clark

2009-05-08T10:26:00.001-07:00

I used to greatly dislike Ms. Clark but she has grown on me over the past few years.
She is insightful and provides a sound argument in favour of STV.

Got a hair cut!

2009-04-21T23:17:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to update the blog. I have much to say - but alas by the time I reach the computer at night all the provocative thoughts are gone....

But here is a preview of what I will be blogging about when I actually get back to blogging (maybe when back at work when my nanny will be here?).

1. going back to work with 3 small kids.
2. the NANNY!
3. HWSNBN's trip to Las Vegas
4. Being a MOB (even though I am now a MOB/G I still feel like I am forever in the camp of the MOBs).
5. A) The Sell
B) The Move....
6. Finding a tenant....

Wow this is an exciting list! Well maybe for me... and hopefulLY I can wax poetic about these topics...

Welcome to Canada

2009-02-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

I saw the Robert Dziekanski taser video a few nights ago. I must admit to FUMING afterwards but thought it best to cool down a bit before I blogged about it.

I want to first say that I have friends who are members of the RCMP, VPD, DPD. I would trust those individuals with my life. My comments regarding the video are directed only to the members that were involved that night.

I was actually terrified after I saw that video. I could hear the relief in Mr. Dziekanski's voice when he said 'Polizia'. I almost cried when he was crying out 'Why' after the first taser. I was red with rage when I heard that they had tasered him 5 times. And left the handcuffs on while he suffered a heart attack and did not render assistance. My heart broke for his mother who has had to see this video time and time again.

Remind me again how 4 RCMP officers have the ability to judge a situation with only 10 seconds to assess? That must be some wicked ESP they have... but wait. It wasn't ESP. They were caught being lazy police officers. They were caught on tape being bullies. That's right, you read me right. The RCMP officers that night at YVR were using lazy police practices when they used their tasers on Mr. Dziekanski. 5 TIMES.

So who is to blame? Unfortunately I have little respect for the CBSA and expect nothing less than subpar behaviour from them. It is criminal that not one member of the CBSA thought to get a polish interpreter at all costs after Mr. Dziekanski had been in the terminal for a few hours. Criminally negligent given the outcome. I hope someone lost their job.

And YVR - where is your shame for running a third rate International airport that does not provide translation services? Haven't we all paid enough 'airport' improvement fees to allow you to have translators on hand?? That does not confirm for waiting family on the other side the fact that their relative is only feet away at Immigration? Again I hope someone lost their job. I hope that they are all sued for wrongful death. Maybe you could work on not participating / being implicit through neglect to the death of any more new Canadians? The world is watching for 2010 you know.

My problem is that I expected more from the RCMP. I TRUSTED the RCMP to show some compassion. I have worked with many competent police officers who would have been appalled by the behaviour of those officers that night. 10 seconds to assess? From what I could see Mr. Dziekanski was upset. He was pissed off. As ALL of us would be if we were detained by CBSA for 10 hours after a long flight from Europe. In fact if one of us were stuck there we would have raised a holy stink. And for 10 hours of not getting anywhere with the stars of CBSA I think most of us would be throwing chairs (if not leaping across the counter and shaking the living lights out of the CBSA agent).

We no longer have the death penalty in Canada. But I am starting to think that the Taser is now the poor man's executioner. Mr. Dziekanski's tragic circumstances not withstanding - I believe that too many police officers (both RCMP & city police forces) are relying on the Taser. Honestly when you are Tasering senior citizens for parking infractions and teenagers while they are in locked cells, maybe it is time to review the use of these weapons.

So now along with all the other things I have to teach my children I will need to test them on their capacity to explain themselves in 10 seconds or less in the event they are confronted by the police or RCMP under any circumstances. Thanks a lot.

The RCMP needs to clean house. After the Ian Bush incident and several other high profile screw ups I no longer have unconditional trust in our boys and girls in blue. Work on your training and get rid of the Taser. Too many people have given their lives to this 'non lethal' police tool.

10 hours at Immigration without food or water.
10 seconds for RCMP to assess situation.
5 tasers to kill.
1 video camera - priceless.

What Is In A Name?

2009-01-28T22:02:00.000-08:00

Well it certainly has taken me a while to get back to blogging!
But here I am - at it again.

Today Linden asked me why we chose his name to be Linden. I told him that it was one of my favourite names because it was an old english name (reference to a Linden Tree) and the spelling came about because of our favourite Canuck - Trevor Linden.

Despite this heartfelt explanation he gave me a quizzical look. And asked:

'Why not Poison Ivy?'

I responded that Poison Ivy was never on the list. And Linden asked:

'You never even considered it? Never thought that I might like it?'

Alas no.....

But it got me thinking - what is in a name? How important is a name? Why do names go in and out of fashion? Why do we name our children at birth before we know what their personalities will be? Why do some of us name our children before they are born (when they are only really a wish of a personality)?

Should we wait to name our kids? Lets face it - the name never really sticks for the first few days anyway- at least not for me. I had to keep reminding myself what their names were. And more than once I referred to all of my children in their infancy by someone else's name.

So it brings me back to the naming... and I will leave you with this story.

When my mom was pregnant with me she met a little girl at a park in West Vancouver. She asked the little girl her name and was told it was Tassi. Short for Anastasia.

My mom was hooked. I am not sure if they had already decided on Anastasia, but Tassi at the park sealed the deal.

In 1993 I worked at a summer camp in Penhold Alberta. At that camp was a woman named Tassie Micheals. And she was about 5 years older than me and she lived in West Vancouver.

Coincidence that I ended up working with my namesake 17 years later?

It is a small, small world.

Where ever you are Tassie - thank you.

So was I born into my name, or did my name grow to represent me?

Fast Times in the ER (well not really....)

2008-11-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

Early this morning my lovely 5.5 month old daughter looked at me and projectile vomited on me twice. While changing the sheets her majesty yakked again. By vomit #3 there was bile and I was frantically looking on the internet at webMD to determine how serious these events were. Serious for the clothes as I am sure bile stains - but more importantly were we off for our first ER visit?

While researching Ev yakked agin - very sad to see an infant throw up bile. Again and again and again. Trying to wade through the google hits was painful too - most of the articles that were found talked about vomiting in 5 month old dogs (dashuhounds seem to be especially prone - beware).

Finally decide to ditch the web search (somewhere between puke 5 & 6) and call the nurses line. I know what they are going to say even before the words leave their mouths. I have never called them and not had the same CYA response. You need to see a doctor within 12 hours or my personal favourite you need to go NOW.

So then the decision. My gut is saying BCCH because we have a history there and there is little chance of a drug addict walking into the waiting room asking for spare change. But it is 2:30am by this point and HWSNBN has voted for SMH. He toddles back to bed to wait for the call and I pack up the van with babe. Who has yakked again in her car seat.

The ER is surprisingly quiet. I thought that maybe with the stat some people would be tying one on. I was fully prepared to turn around and book to BCCH. We triaged and waited with 2 homeless people in the waiting room. One was passed out and the other commented how cute Ev was (she was sleeping). But the comment was followed by some high pitched preaching about God so all the warm fuzzies that I take from those compliments was washed away and replaced with a desire to sit as far away as possible.

Finally we are called back to the peds section of the ER. Admitted. Yakking ensues. More bile with time with foam. Nurse goes to tend to stupid 17 year old who doesn't want to sign consent to get her appendix taken out - even though she is becoming toxic. Almost removed her and signed the consent myself just to get closer to having a pediatricians attention. Stupid girl eventually concedes that she does not want to die in a cess pool of toxic shock and is wheeled away.

But then the nurse starts to comment that WADE the pediatrician has not been by her ward all shift (he didn't even come to see 'too stupid to live' again because he had seen her earlier in the day and she was now in the hands of the surgeon). So I slept in a chair with my head on Ev's crib mattress. For about 15 minutes before asthma baby started to wail. Again thought about removing him from his incompetent mother and placing with other care provider who would actually remember his nebulizer the next time they went to visit rellies with cats. Thankfully Ev slept for a few hours.

Mercifully WADE went off shift at 7am without showing his fizzog and Dr. Chung arrived and saved the day with some Gravol and a syringe of water. Nurse Courtney (no not my sister but another equally charming Courtney) administered first Gravol and syringed water. Babe slept. Took 3 ccs more of water without yakking. Sent home at 9am to sleep it off. Probably a stomach bug. Why couldn't WADE have taken the 10 minutes to to that at 4am??? If I ever find WADE I am going to make him scrub out bile stains from Ev's clothes until he cries.

So the morale of the story is - go to BCCH. Even if your kid only has an infected hangnail. Otherwise you could wait a whole shift for WADE to make an appearance. At least at BCCH you can wait in peace without hiding your purse and constantly worrying about the public toilet.

ACK! Now onto tackling the stains from last night.

Gymboree, I love you

2008-11-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

I must confess to becoming an insane person when it comes to shopping for the Ev.

And really only one store rings my bell these days (an honorable mention to the Gap as I adore their denim jeans & can always find something for the little men). It is Gymboree. And the reason why I love them so much is multi layered.

I don't always like shopping in their stores. The one in Bellingham is a bit scungy and the two close to me in Metrotown & Oakridge aren't really close at all. But I hold my nose and go into the stores to spend my Gymbucks - even though you can't reasonably shop with a stroller in there. I usually find several great deals and even complete sets that I thought were sold out on the website.

But what really gets me hooked is the brilliant marketing strategy. The multiple lines of clothing. The discounts. The random flipping through Cookie magazine a few weeks ago was a jack pot as there was a coupon for 20% your total bill. So I bought 8 items from a line that I had been watching. It was already 60% off. So I got 80% off! Fabulous.

And just recently I went on the website again and got multiple items and had another coupon for 30% off my total bill. I am honestly all a twitter thinking of all the money I have saved and all the great deals. Even with the dollar doing a nose dive I still feel good about these purchases.

I shouldn't be surprised. I was out shopping for Everly 5 days after my c section. That is major surgery. And there I was popping Advils and asking if a certain dress came in a 0 - 3 month size. Crazy. Maybe I need a support group.... but only if they share their coupons....

Made In China

2008-11-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago the kids and I were watching a show about the human body. They were excited about all the mucus and poop and whatnot. And of course there was the obligatory discussion about private parts. Boys have penises and girls have vaginas. Only when asked the kids shouted out that girls had chinas. Despite repetition to the point of boredom the kids were still affected by the speech impediment. Whatever.

But last night when I was sorting out the kids candy they asked me what I was doing. I explained that I was making sure that they didn't get any treats made in China. Both boys looked at me with the strangest expressions. Finally Linden asks the obvious - Do chinas really make candy?

It took me a few seconds to see where he was coming from. And then a few more seconds before I could stop laughing.

The moral of the story is this - always make sure your kids can pronounce important words correctly. Otherwise they may grow up to think that chinas really are magical.

Ebay and other dying hobbies

2008-11-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

Well the plunging dollar has left me bereft with grief. For over a year I was enthusiastically buying and trading item from the US. I bought a new stroller for Everly (1/2 of the canadian price with free shipping!), a trip to Disneyland (dollar was over 1.10 us!), one black friday shopping trip with the intrepid Jackie, and many many ebay finds.

But now I am still addicted to the shops known as Ebay & Target - however my shopping high now leaves me feeling a little bit blue. And now there is far more math involved. I was so shocked into reality last week when I purchased something and the dollar was listed at 77 cents! Gasp! That is like mid 1990s!

I again made the trek down to Bellis Fair today. But this time it was to pick up a vacuum cleaner for my mom and it was still 1/2 price even with the exchange. But it didn't feel the same. Instead of gleefully telling the border guard my total, I did so today with me head hung low.

It's just not the same. But I will still shop online - whether through Canadian shops or American because you just can't beat the selection (ever tried to find a Jimmy Neutron DVD here?).

Plus there is a sale at Gymboree on the 6th - 30% off your order. A good shopper can't be kept down. Maybe I am the saviour the American economy needs? Super Tassi!

Wool - and other fabrics on the do not buy list

2008-11-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

I was given a few gift certificates for The Gap for my birthday this year.

I dutifully went and vowed to spend the moola on me and not the kids (honestly a difficult challenge as I am always scouring the racks for great deals on clothes for the monkeys).

I couldn't really find anything that was a great find (style & dollar wise) so I settled on a creamy cardigan with a loose knit texture and big creamy buttons. It was much more expensive than I usually spend on a sweater from the Gap - but it was being financed by someone other than me (mother & brother & sister). So I splurged and bought the sweater.

Day in and day out I dodge toxic chemicals and bio hazard wastes. From permanent markers (for the love of all things alive who puts these markers with kids colouring books!! Flayed alive I tell you when I find the person putting these packages together!) to poop to throw up - it is all a part of my daily life. Understandably I have not bought anything wool or silk for years. Everything
I own needs to be absorbent (who knows when you are going to have to catch a boogie nose at the playground), durable and above all else washable.

Of course the creamy sweater stays pristine for about 1 week (miracle) but it is ambushed by a green felt marker in the end. Before putting it in the wash I clipped off that annoying square patch on the inside and read the washing instructions. It said hand wash in cold water. I usually take that to mean 'delicate' cycle on the washing machine. No harm no foul with the rule so far. In the sweater goes with the rest of the whites.

And out it comes - Eloise size!! Imagine my horror. My beautiful large loopy sweater now all tightly bound into size 6x.

Turns out said sweater was made of 100% wool. I should have been a bit more curious about the hand wash direction. But it was made in China (don't get my started - I know that I broke one of my own rules) and I figured that the best it could be would be a wool / cotton / rayon hybrid. But no. They went all out and made something nice in 100% wool!

HWSNBN thought that I should take it back to the Gap. But even I could se through my anger (self directed) that this was not the fault of the chipper staff at the Gap.

But I do have some advice for the Gap as it seems that they are starting to market to my demographic again (super moms looking for something stylish but not skanky). If we are in fact their new market & they want to respect the toxic to clothes atmosphere we work in - then maybe they should consider housing the fantastically shrinkable clothes in the back of the store. Similar to the porn huts at your local Blockbuster. That way we would know by visual cue that we were about to venture into fantasyland......

Trying to Live Without China

2008-07-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to live without products from China. This has led to some tears and many deviations.
Everly's preferred soothers are made in Germany (Nuk), second soothers are made in England (Avent).
My preferred layette is made in Canada (Kushies Baby). Umbrella stroller is made in Italy (Peg Perego), jogging stroller Australia (Phil & Ted), car seats in America (Britax).

But most toys are from China and my beloved Gymboree clothes seem to all be made in China.

What is my beef with China? Well it really isn't a specific beef - except that over the last 30 years of my consumer life I have made the observation that most items made in China are poorly made and break easily. Cheap plastics or poorly cut fashion items. There are some exceptions to the rule (I am humbled by Gymboree - please find another country to manufacture your little girly frocks!). The one time I found a plastic container with a lid made in Canada it broke with little resistance.

But I am committed to avoiding products made in China. This is not about their human rights violations, relations with Tibet or propensity to eat dogs. It has everything to do with quality. I would rather spend a bit more money and buy something that I am not going to need to replace very 3 months.

Wish me luck. I predict that I will be making many exemptions but I am going to try.

CBSA Meet The Hague Convention

2008-07-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

A few days ago on my way back into Canada I was questioned repeatedly by a Canada Border Service Agent whether or not I had a letter of permission to take my children out of Canada from their father.

I questioned her about her authority to ask me this question as I was bringing my canadian born children (with recent passports) back into the country. Not only that but she kept repeated the incorrect number of children that I had in the vehicle - 3 not 2 - which tells me her eagle eye for things askew was a bit askew itself.....

She continued to dogmatically repeat her question - did I have a notarized letter from the father? I advised her that I have never been questioned by the American border guards about whether or not I had permission (and they are the ones who would be denying my travel). She responded that was because the Americans don't care about Canadians and their custody and guardianship status.

At this statement I balked as I know that the Americans care very much who is coming into their country. They have signed onto The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (1988). Albeit they signed 5 years after Canada did - but the intention was the same - to assist parents in stopping or having their children repatriated to their native countries if they are unlawfully removed (Elian Gonzales ring any bells?).

So why was this Canadian border guard giving me the raspberry on an issue that she had no remedy for? Could she detain me in some sort of fashion like the Tom Hanks movie The Terminal? Living at The Peace Arch with my three kids.... limbo. No she could not deny me entry back into my country with my Canadian born child (with valid Canadian Passports - which their father had to sign for). Given that the kids have valid passports there is in implicit consent by HWSNBN is somewhat ADVISED that the kids are traveling into foreign lands.

But more to the point isn't it the job of the CBSA to make sure that they are protecting Canada by vetting international travelers that wish to mingle among us? Isn't their job to collect 'lost taxes' from shop happy Canadians returning home? Aren't they there to ensure that people aren't bringing back any biological pesticides / foreign invaders to keep our agricultural areas safe?

Did she ask if I am going to be visiting a farm? No
Did she ask if I had anything to declare? No

Buts he did ask if I had purchased any firearms or knives / weapons during my trip.

PULEEEZE. How many overweight mid 30's moms with three pre school aged kids have time to go shopping in the states during a day trip let alone have time to pick up a firearm?

What ever happened to common sense?

We Shall Not Return

2008-07-05T14:11:00.001-07:00

HWSNBN took the boys out today to cash in their sticker credits for toys. During their trip HWSNBN decided to go into a store (which looked like a toy store) with the boys to inquire about a special motor. The store was in Old Langley. The store owner was in a crabby mood. Now bear in mind that this was a small store, in an economically struggling part of Langley. In any event the store owner made it clear to HWSNBN that the kids were not welcome in the store. Which is a bit weird when you consider that it was a toy store and this guy clearly wouldn't hurt for making a sale. HWSNBN assured the owner that if anything was broken he would pay for it. This was NOT an antique store or a store which had any business putting limits on which kinds of people could come inside. Had either child broken anything HWSNBN would have bought up the store out of guilt - let alone pay for the item that was broken.

In the end they left quickly as the store owner was making them feel very unwelcome.

I started to think about what would have happened if instead of discriminating against kids, the store owner had said no black people in his store. Or no women. Or no gays. Or no First Nations. Or no wheelchairs. That would have been a scream from the community. But somehow we accept that people discriminate against kids.

One would think that the last group of people you should be rude to would be those who can afford to buy your pap from your store. Especially parents of young boys who are itching to increase their train collection & Hot Wheels breeding program. But more importantly I started to think about all the times that kids have been made to feel unwelcome. Who do these shop owners think that they are? I am probably the last person who you want to piss off because of your behaviour as a retailer. I will tell everyone about my experience. I will blog about it. I will boycott your store.

The store was C & Rs Hobbies Collectibles and the man who runs it clearly does not want your business. Grant him his wish.

I Can Still Hear The Snare in The Square

2008-06-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

Summer always evokes memories of summer cam p for me. And it wasn't a sleepaway camp where we made crafts, made out by the campfire and ate smores. I went to cadet camp for 5 years. It was more like 6am wake up calls, french fries for every lunch at the mess and grueling wedge head (because I was an air cadet and even when I was at an army camp in Whitehorse, I had to wear my wedge - fabulous for the forehead).

Believe it or not but these were some of the best summers of my life. I felt like I lived, loved and laughed the whole 7 to 8 weeks that I was at camp. I went to Band Camp in Vernon in 1990 - a hideous hair year completed with Sun In streaks in my hair and an impossible crush on a guy named Ferris. I then wen to on to win a panel to go to Tech camp in Borden 1991. I made a radio and won top Tech cadet in BC. I was able to learn about Inuit culture (Whitehorse 1992) when I was a staff cadet. I will never forget the humiliation when I marched up to the dias when they called out Warrent Officer positions - they said Curly and I thought that they said Curry. I ended up being an admin clerk. Which may be the place where I fell in love with flying staplers. Then it was onto Penhold for true Air Cadet Camp (the first 3 were mainly army cadet camps with a few positions for air cadets to beat drums or staple documents).

I surprised myself (and I think my home squadron officers) when I landed a WO2 position at Penhold. I suspect that this had much to do with the fact that I had no history with the people on staff (and hence no rekindled friendships) and a massive ear infection which rendered me deaf. So I had no one but myself to commiserate with and this meant that I didn't talk myself into blowing off lesson plans, didn't talk myself into sneaking out after hours and didn't really make any friends until after the staff cadets had been assigned. I was determined to work hard and redeem my previous placement the summer before.

And of course then there was Penhold 1994 - when the mighty had fallen and the old regime had been replaced. Which ultimately led to me having a demotion (although same pay rate) to flight sergeant and one of the most moody summers of my life.

I will blog more about this - but for now given the time of year - I am always transported back to that initial excitement of leaving home for summer camp.

Little F*&$er

2008-06-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

There is a little man who chooses to drag race his vehicle around my neighbourhood. This has been recent - however it always happens this time of year. Something about it being spring time and little men with little penises road raging around the hood.

I hate this man. He may be a teenager or he may be a middle aged guy on his lunch break- I am not sure. But if I catch him I guarantee that I will change his religion.

Today he scared Rowan so badly while he was in the backyard I vowed to catch him this summer if it is the only public service that I do.

For those of you who can remember the verbal smack down I gave to '9pm Rev My Motorcycle' guy you should looking forward to how I handle no Muffler Man.

Stay tuned.....

The Instant Gratification of Ebay

2008-06-10T15:07:00.001-07:00

I love ebay. I just love it. There is a drama placed out with every transaction. Will I win it? Will I be outbid? Can I hit the bid button fast enough??

of course there is a dark side to all this 'shopping'. There is the crushing defeat when someone outbids you by 50 cents on an item that you thought that you had in the bag. Or the scary reality that you might have bought 3 Incrediblocks (no small mistake at $25 shipping per item). Or the relief that you in fact only bought 2 and had already found a home for the extra. There is cheeky smugness if you outbid someone. There is the excitement of the doorbell ringing - especially when you didn't pay extra for direct shipping to Canada.

Some recent finds - $3.74 for a Matt & Nat wallet (that matched my purse), 7 Gymboree summer outfits for Everly for 2 dollars a piece, Bjorn spit cover for half price. I LOVE ebay.

Next goal is to buy kitchen fixtures & bathroom faucets... about 75% cheaper on ebay.

Truly satisfying on a rainy weekday....

You Oughtta Know....

2008-06-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

I would estimate that 50% of my parenting energy goes towards 'crime prevention'.

By this I mean that I try to avert disaster before it strikes. LIke putting all sharp knives up high. Removing all things breakable from the play room. Hiding chocolate and other treats up high before the little truffle sniffers can find them and demand TREATS before breakfast. Putting my favourite and my best bath bubbles under the sink so that they do not get used for general bubble making. Poopi - scooping the backyard before allowing the kids to play in the backyard. And up until two weeks ago this list also included putting all paints and paint brushes on top of the bookcase in the den so that the kids could not make eye contact with said contra ban and I was totally in charge of when and if there was going to be 'fun with paint time'.

I should also note that part of my crime prevention program includes vetting out inappropriate gifts such as paints with warning labels which include instructions which explicitly state that you must wash paint immediately off anything you don't want stained forever. Unless said paint gift is from a relative that we see quite frequently. In which case I divert to plan B which is keep the paint but keep it out of sight. Honestly when this gift was given I spent a long time searching the instructions on the bottles for the words WASHABLE or Water Soluble. Nada. Might as well be oil based melamine as far as I was concerned. Who the hell buys permanent paint for a 4 year old???

In a moment of blind stupidity, or perhaps due to extreme sleep deprivation, or an undeniable need to putting everything back in its place during my nesting phase prior to going into labour on May 19th, I grabbed the paint and assorted brushes and put them back with their art supply brethearn.

Sure enough yesterday while I was trying to mesh swimming schedules there was an unearthly quiet in the dinning room. After the quiet registered I got up to see two little people looking really guilty with a streak of gold in their hair. And fists full of wet wipes which also look like they have been used to mop up a large amount of gold PAINT. In the dining room. On the dining room CARPET in three separate pools of paint (with some hot pink for flair).

On my knees and scrubbing for what seems like hours (but honestly must have been for about 5 minutes) and there is only a wisp of a colour change to the pools. They resemble huge skid marks. In that special mopped up post gold way - sort of green and brown after tones. So I DRENCH the carpet in fantastic Oxy clean. And then I spray it again with cleaner. Then I let it sit and start to scrub again after HWSNBN gets home ("Why weren't you supervising them?"). Nothing. Just three huge skid marks.

Now before anyone starts a bottle drive for me to get my carpets cleaned ASAP I should say that we have already bought the hardwood and planned on the weekend that HWSNBN will be putting the hardwood down. In fact the reason why the art easel is even in the dining room is because of the plans to change the flooring. The only glitch is that this particular project is not scheduled to begin until September.

So it shall be a summer of skid marks in the dining room. Please look away when you come over....

For the record I have dispensed with the unwashable paint. And I dare the wrath of the relative to rain on me. Of course I will give them the Van Gogh tour when they come over next......

Contemplation

2008-05-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

So here I sit - my last Sunday morning sort of alone at the computer. It is the last day of a long weekend and the count down to baby has started in earnest (3 more sleeps). I am in clean up mode - which is nice for the living space, not so nice for my husband (Do you REALLY need to keep this Metallica CD? When is the last time you actually listened to it? What about this Diablo gaming manual? What about this joy stick?). The kids could care less. They don't even play with the toys that I have already downsized. The dogs aren't miffed (as demonstrated by the fact that they are back to snoring at 7:28 am after breakfast & a trip outside).

But I am thinking of all the things that we do keep in our homes which really have no monetary meaning - but sentimental meaning galore. My mother was cleaning out her garage this past weekend and produced a shoe box to me filled with pictures that I had packed away from my days at summer camp. They were framed and everything. There was even a Bean figurine with a saying about kids stenciled on its belly (which my sister inexplicably wanted to have for her office). What am I going to do with that kind of stuff? I am a scrapbooker - but this stuff seems beyond the pale. I can barely finish off the boys baby's albums (super sorry - I have given myself an Olympic time clock for those items) let alone start looking at things from the mid 1990s. I think that we have stopped taking so many pictures because it is associated with scrapbookers guilt! ;)

So I guess I need to cull out the truly bad pictures and pack the rest of them up for reflection when my kids leave the house and I have more time. In about 20 years. Good grief. They should have an organisational aisle at London Drugs called - Putting Away Stuff for Decades. BPA free!

To Tie or Not to Tie.....

2008-05-15T12:46:00.001-07:00

My GP has asked me whether or not I want to have my tubes tied during my c section next week.
Initially I thought no, HWSNBN should be responsible for something physical in this childbearing scenario. But then my GP made the point that HWSNBN will not get blood work completed for a relatively minor ailment - what are the chances that he will actually follow through with a vasectomy?

So I called HWSNBN and advised him that the GP recommended that we get the tubes tied during the section and that we could advise the OBGYN the morning of the surgery that we wanted it done. Initially there was whooping on the other end of the phone. I have to admit that I did offer to get this done if we could agree to a third baby.

But then HWSNBN started to think about it and decided (base don what kind of science I am not sure) that maybe having a tubal ligation was not as effective as a vasectomy. However I pointed out that in theory that may be correct (what do I know?), but at least with the tubal ligation we would know that it was done as opposed to the mythical "I'll get a vasectomy when I pluck up the courage to get some blood work done". If the blood work that has been waiting for the non life changing / altering condition (coming up on one year) is anything to go on then we will be pregnant again by the end of the year with HWSNBN's plan.

Every fiber in my being is telling me that if I want to be in control of this then I will need to get my tubes tied next week. I am still not sure that is what I really want to do. I know that having a 4th section isn't a safe choice either as the risk of complications rise. And to be honest I have had some bad mommy moments this year.

But still if I leave it up to HWSNBN - will it ever get done?

Things I will miss, Things I will not miss

2008-05-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

I know that this is my last pregnancy and I have spent some time thinking about what I will miss about being pregnant. It was an admittedly short list. So I had to make a counter list of things that I would not miss. After much contemplation, here it is:

Things I will miss:
feeling baby move (summersault, kick, push & turn)
elastic band pants
glossy hair

Things I will not miss:
pitting edema
heartburn
crocs
acne
carpel tunnel syndrome (numb fingers)
random nausea
not being able to see my feet
bladder the size of a thimble
gaining 4 pounds in 1 week
blood work
epidural fear - last time he missed
not bending & stretching
exhaustion

9 more days and I will be finished with my physical state of pregnancy. As noted I am ready to say good bye to this stage. Too bad you can't record the feeling of the baby moving within - because that is really cool. Sort of like that scene in the original Aliens without the chest bursting.

But alas all good things need to end.

Pink Crocs

2008-04-12T12:13:00.001-07:00

Well I finally broke down - 18 months after the fad hit - and bought some pink crocs.

I know that by the time I actually get it together to find scissors, paint nails, hot weather etc they will not only be hideously out of style but may have taken on the popularity of lead painted Thomas trains.

But they are sooo tempting to wear outside. I see myself romping around in the back yard, picking up dog poop and kids toys the like with a little pink waddle to my step. The beach! The back yard! Pool parties! The opportunities seem endless.

I do hope that I use a big more discretion with the crocs than I do with my Lululemon cropped pants. My increasing dependence on them is a bit scary this late in my pregnancy considering they are not 'panel'. Which results in belly hand over. Which results in my looking like a sexy plumber from the belly button down.

But what is the worst that can happen with the crocs? Fungal foot?

The Other Woman

2008-03-25T18:59:00.001-07:00

My husband is addicted to Zelda. It is really my fault as I brought her into the home as a Valentines gift.

Little did I know that she would replace me at night time, replace the inherent desire to unload the dishwasher, replace the urge to pack lunches and make sure that all the doors are locked and secured at night.

He Who Shall Not Be Named hates it when I blog about him - however tonight when I tried to talk to him about the issue of playing Zelda for 2.5 hours when there was a dishwasher full of dishes to be unloaded and loaded - he said that I could have done that task in the morning (on top of my other tasks such as getting 2 small children up, dressed, fed and watered and in the van for 2 daycare drops). Not withstanding the fact that I was busy organising the boys clothes and condensing them into one room last night - collapsing into bed at 9:30pm with a large bag of clothes to be donated and all the new little spawns things in the 'baby's room' when Master Wii player HWSNBN was playing with his other woman.

I agree that no one wants to unload the dishwasher. But there needs to be some kind of compromise - like cut your play time down to 2 hours a night so that you can do some household chores.

Normally HWSNBN does participate in household chores. Not with the same capacity as me to multi task - but he does a share of the duty. Until she came along.

Perhaps it is time for Zelda to swim with the fishes...... then at least I might some evening participation!

104 weeks of pregnancy

2008-03-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I have been pregnant for 2 years (not counting the misfire). I have been more tired this time around - could be because of the product from the first 72 weeks of pregnancy. But I am faced with the knowledge that I have been pregnant for 104 weeks. And I am sure that I am done at the end of this one.

It is a nice feeling to know that you are done. I know that I am not technically done yet - there is still the anxiety about the spinal epidural, the fear of being alone with three kids with no daycare and a whole summer stretched out in front of me, post partum depression. But there is some satisfaction knowing that I will be complete after baby #3 enters into the world.

Phew. But a part of me knows the truth - that this is the just the beginning of the marathon of parenthood....

It's Official

2008-03-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

I did the unthinkable (for a scrapbooker) yesterday.
I bought a box of 50 handmade cards from Costco. For $12.
Because I have been unable to muster the strength, desire and inspiration to make my own cards.
Despite the fact that I have spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on scrapbook stuff over the past 3 years.

I am not sure where my mojo went in regards to creating paper crafts. It could be the fact that I go to bed around 8:30pm which is putting a damper not only on my crafty side but also denting my sex life. I also can't seem to organise a thought about any kind of page layout.

I did manage to make a card for my niece a few weeks back - and I will make her an album. But it will suck all of the energy I have to complete the task.

For now I am a scrapbooking untouchable.

The Jig is Up

2008-02-16T12:24:00.001-08:00

Well the little people in our house have wised up to the fact that there is going to be an invasion in about 14 weeks.

Linden asked me as we were leaving daycare one day this past week whether there was a baby in my big tummy or maybe I just ate too much lunch. Clearly time to show our cards to the little people. We weren't going to tell them until after their newest niece or nephew is born (in about 2 weeks) - but maybe I should be pleased that they knew that I was getting rotund.

Both boys have put their orders in - only a sister will do thank you very much. When I try to dissuade them by saying that a brother would be nice as well and they could show him how to play with all the Thomas toys they each give me the hairy eye ball. As though only an insane mummy would suggest that sharing toys could be a benefit to having a sibling enter into the house. Maybe only an insane mummy would see that as a bonus.... Clearly it is interpreted as an act of war.....

This does cause a dilemma though - what happens if we do have another boy and there is a mass revolt? Burning of the power ranger costumes, hiding of Thomas toys, purposely developing a love for mustard which would simultaneously destroy all of their clothes... Maybe we should find out what we are having so we can do some prep for the boys....

Maternal Guilt - the gift that keeps giving

2008-02-13T18:22:00.001-08:00

We invited a friend out to the movies on Saturday. This was the first time that we had 'gone' out to a movie since Blades of Glory in the Spring of 2007. This was HUGE for my friend and I. Lame, but huge to actually get out just the two of of without kids for the second time in 10 months.

Third friend invited regretfully declines invite as she had gone running that morning then a haircut and she felt that she needed to spend the night in because of all the time she had been out of the house that day. Fair game. But it got me thinking about whether I had ever heard a dad decline an invite out because they had attended a sporting event & got a haircut that same day and were feeling guilty about being out of the home.

Well those words have yet to be uttered by He Who Shall Not Be Named in my house and I hazard a guess that he is not unique.

I continually feel as though I need to justify my social activities to HWSNBN. Not because he demands it, but because I am so hung up on the fact that if I choose to go out with my friends (second time in 10 months - what the heck is wrong with me? Clearly I am a wanton hedonistic gal getting my social needs met before my kids needs) it means that I am choosing movies or Starbucks conversations over my little buddies. And that had better be a really good caramel machiato to pull me away from the kidlets.

I don't think that I am particular in this as a mom and I believe that it is something that our male parents do not really struggle with. Hockey three nights a week? No big deal. Proof is that the kids don't forget who they are even though they at times don't see them for 1, 2 or 3 days at a time (given that little buddies are only awake from 7am to 7:30pm respectively). So why don't I feel that same freedom to scrapbook or work overtime without incurring hideous and debilitating levels of guilt?

A Bridge Too Far

2008-02-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

There is a mom at daycare who I really do not like.

She never says hello - yet is inexplicably there sitting in the living room every night I come to get my kids.
She has never attended a birthday party that we have invited her to for the kids - although she does RSVP with the usual vapid - "We can't come to the party." It is especially annoying as it was a pity daycare invite in the first place as her child is odd as well.

Last summer she actually subbed in for the usual daycare provider and had the cajones to reprimand my child in front of me in a nasty tone. It was a good thing that I was not 100 % (just had the D&C) otherwise I would have leapt over the couch and tied her braids together and booted her saggy ass back to her home. But I kept my mouth shut (all the while giving her hairy eye ball) and kindly requested that my d/c provider NEVER ask her to look after my children again.

But despite that huge parenting / daycare I still say hello to her and goodbye to her and her weird kid everyday that I see her. And she is silent. I have thought that maybe she is autistic. But I have come to the conclusion that she is just rude.

And to top it all off we are having babies at the same time. She looks like a brown haired Heidi Remake cast off and I still look remotely stylish. Maybe life is fair after all......

Be True to Thy Self

2008-01-29T19:12:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. Most of you who are my friends will already know this confession. But here it is.

I am a bad friend. I rarely return phone calls, I randomly send emails, I make plans and then cancel at the last minute, I sometimes don't cover my mouth when I sneeze, the list could go on and on.

I would like to say that all this bad friend etiquette started when I had kids, but there are too many of you out there who know differently. For a while it was masked because I lived in Victoria and actually sent out Christmas cards to a whole host of people. Little did they know that one Christmas card was me running at full friendship capacity. It just looked good because I didn't live in the same town.

The weird thing is that I genuinely like / treasure all of my friends. I think of you guys often and wonder how you are with your families and careers and lives. If I called or emailed every time I thought about you guys then I would be bordering on stalking..... well maybe not. But there would be more than one or two calls a year.

How did this happen? Am I lazy? Is the Metro Vancouver to blame? Are we simply too thinly spread between working full time, parenting, random acts of exercise and commuting? Throw in a 30 minute drive to the old stomping grounds and it is kaput?

There is no excuse. I am not an artist, I am not involved in any team sports (they would kick me out for lack of participation), I am not actively involved in any sort of time consuming hobbies (scrapbooking 1x a month if I am lucky), I do not have any debilitating illnesses (unless you consider 3rd pregnancy in 5 years incapacitating) and I do not cook very much or bake. There is no reason for me not to eek out some time for my friends.

So here is to you - the friends who have hung in there and call even though I am criminally negligent. I enjoy all of our conversations and I value your input. The emails and random cards brighten my day.

I will do better!

The Wii Mii

2008-01-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

She is quite a catch. A nice bob haircut without any fly aways, she has a clear complexion, no need for glasses and seems to always be smiling.

She has a 120 average in bowling. There are no hissy fits when she gets a gutter ball. She doesn't stamp her feet or curse everyone around her. She smiles and picks up another ball. She doesn't do a dance when she beats Wii Mii Colin at bowling. She even smiles as she boxes Wii Mii Rowan (always to a KO - cyber child abuse?).

I would love to be Wii Mii for one day.

I want Nunavut!

2008-01-13T09:55:00.000-08:00

All this time I was saying "I want None of It", but clearly after seeing the Jobs section of the Vancouver Sun this weekend, what I really meant was "I want Nunavut!"

I have reached the top of my pay scale as a social worker in BC. This is a livable wage and it generally keeps me in the way in which I have been accustomed. Sure the merlot is sometimes in a box - but I really have no complaints.

Until now. Turns out that if I was plying my trade in Nunavut I would be making $65,228.00 per annum with a $25,030.00 pre annum northern allowance. Or should I make it as a supervisor the wage would be $73,398.00 per annum plus the northern allowance. To me this would mean, without a lot of thought into why the northern allowance is so high, farewell boxed merlot, hello fresh from France merlot.

$90K to be a social worker in Nunavut....... $98K to be a supervisor. Now depending on how much money I would need to make a comparably lifestyle up there.... this could be very tempting. Even if it meant mail order Lululemon for two years and months of snowmobiling training in order to make it work.

I am clearly not a Nunavut Land Claim beneficiary... which could be detrimental to my success of panelling for the position. There is the distinct possibility that my children could be lost in a snow drift. And of course I can not ignore the massive amount of education I would require in order to learn about the North and the distinctive cultures of the people who live there. Safe to assume that my limited knowledge of first nations people is seriously lacking. But for $90K plus a year (and that is the starting wage!) I would be a fast learner.

Just something to ponder on a Sunday before the beginning of a long work week....

The BEST job EVER!

2008-01-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

After much deliberation and many years of questioning peers about the attributes of the best job ever, I have decided which job is the BEST. Sadly it is not my job. But I know someone who works in this employment and he gets 8 weeks of vacation and is off every day between 2 - 3pm.

The job is..... Canada Post Mailperson!

Sure they have to work in the rain sometimes - but they get standard issued uniforms complete with rain slickers and matching short outfits for summer. All in navy blue! My favourite!

Sometimes my mailperson has their own mini golf cart type vehicle which they drive on my lawn and leave idle while they deliver their wares. Rarely does a parcel weigh more than a few pounds and my mailperson has wicked muscle tone in the leg.

I am not the first to 'discover' this dream job. A good friend who is currently a teacher in Delta first claimed this to be the best job ever while we were still in university. Why she never pursued this dream is unknown to me. Instead she spends her days with cheeky elementary school kids.

If I could do it all over again, I may have taken a different route.

Benazir Bhutto

2007-12-29T15:10:00.000-08:00

I wonder why more women don't go into politics.

Could it be that we worry about creating orphans?
What sort of message does the assassination of Benazir Bhutto say to all the women and girls around the world who wish to get into politics? Specifically what does it say to the women of Pakistan?

I worry about the gender inequality in the world. I worry about such widespread hatred - and why we are so tolerant of this behaviour.

I understand that Benazir was not only assassinated because she was a women (although that was a trait which marked her for death from the beginning with the Taliban). But it played a role and the loss of Benazir is a loss to the whole world - women especially.

Women are under represented in every area of government and management. I am sad to say that this is also true of my profession. I am a social worker (front line) and in my small office the team leaders are 50 - 50 gender split (despite the fact that women make up 80% + of the workforce). Our administration staff is 100% female. I am forced to ask the question why? During my BSW we were educated about social change and how to affect change in our communities. So why can we not shake the trees and promote more women into positions of power? The majority of our adult clients are female. The majority of our support agencies are staffed by women.

I do not believe that this is due to male intellectual superiority - please. I know that some Harvard professors are debating the differences between the level of IQ in men and women. If IQ testing had been invented by a woman she would have built in multi tasking components which included creating shopping lists, balancing cheque books and figuring out if 1=8 then 2=X. That would be a true test of capacity and IQ. In short I believe that men and women have different strengths intellectually - but this does not place one above the other.

If anythings these differences should reinforce the need to have both men and women equally represented in world government and all levels of business and public service.

So farewell Benazir, you will be mourned by your fellow Pakistanis and women around the world.
I hope that this cowardly act will invigorate women and motivate them to vote in the coming elections in Pakistan.

I also hope that it will light a fire under every mother, daughter, wife, best friend and sister to get out there and get involved. I believe that we can change the world. Vote as is your right and your duty in democracy.

GO HILARY GO!!!

Too Posh To Push

2007-12-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

My husband said this to me last night. I have had two c sections and will be having another in May 2008.

This is the same man that stood by and watched me deal with coupling contractions so serious that I was unable to catch my breath during our first child birth experience. I could barely eeck out the words 'epidural' before the next contraction hit my body like a prize fighter. I was crying and had never experienced so much pain in my life. After 16 hours of labour, our son (whose head refused to engage in the birth canal) was born via c section. He was a 7 pound baby and my doctor determined that I had a tilted pelvis and this was what caused the lack of movement despite the 2 hours of pushing and a scary amount of petocin.

Due to the reason for requiring a c section for number 1, I did some research and determined that there was far too much risk to attempt a v-back with my second pregnancy (only 19 months apart). This was confirmed for me when my water broke at 33 weeks and we knew that we would having a baby who would require immediate medical care and special care nursery services. I opted to go ahead with my 'planned' c -section. This c section was very painful (due to babe prematurity it meant that the abdominal wall did not thin and there was more muscle & tissue involved in the operation. I also contracted an infection which was gross.

So in May when I will be having our third and last baby, I will be having a third c section. There isn't much choice for the 3rd time around as the risks for placenta abruption is significant and this is not a risk I choose to place my baby in. I have researched the risks to me and to my baby and I have determined that I am too smart to push.

I have not made my decisions without significant refection. I know how this story can and will end. I know that there will be some women who will always think that they are superior because they gave birth through their vaginas. I don't hold it against them - but until you have walked a mile in my shoes you can keep your mother earth crap to yourself. But I will save my rant for those people for another day.

Back to the real reason why I am blogging about this today...

To give some context to my husband's comment - this is the man that is too scared to have a blood test done to confirm that he has gout.

I can only hope that he gets kidney stones as we age and I am afforded the opportunity to lean over and say - "what honey? Too posh to push?"

There was warning....

2007-11-10T19:52:00.001-08:00

Kids warn you that they are going to be messy. It starts with labour (mucus plug anyone?), continues on with post baby whatnot downstairs (but this time accompanied by either pukey baby or flying pee baby), then there are the projectile moments when trying new food, vomit in the middle of the night, car sick toddler, sticky hands on clean pants child in the morning followed closely by melted chocolate child who rubs their face on your white t-shirt.

So what I am about to say might sound a bit trite.

I am AMAZED at how many times I have been vomited on. I am stunned by the amount of pee that has entered into my washing machine. I am flommuxed about all of the snot that invariably finds & dries on my pants. I am shocked that I even attempt to leave the house (day after day) in the same clothes I started out in.

The kids are at the perfect hight to get me from ankle to shoulder with whatever substance they seem to be willing to share. As noted above this can include body fluids, food and art supplies.

The next time someone tries to wipe something off my shirt, then pulls away their hand and says "Ohhh.... it is cheese." I am going to haul out my Tide Pen and give them a piece of my mind!

There were warnings! Beware!

Kids = Ugly parents?

2007-10-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

We were out today at a thomas the train day. Kids and multi generational families everywhere. I had a moment to people watch while Colin took the boys on a train ride out to the pumpkin patch.

I noticed that the majority of parents are really hideous. Scraggly hair, zippers left half mast, bellies hanging out (pregnant and otherwise), mismatched outfits, snotty noses, pimpled faces.... the list goes on.

And I started to wonder about which came first - ugliness or kids. Did being ugly beget having kids? Or do people become ugly after having kids? If you are not hot enough for the bar scene do you settle down earlier & start to breed?

I am not speaking from a place of goddess based hygiene. I struggle with my weight and more often than not I have a puzzled and perhaps far away look to me (sans makeup - makes me look younger right?). I have not had a hair cut in about 8 months - most people think that I am trying to grow out Heather Locklear feather hair style circa TJ Hooker 1984. But alas it is because I have little time for pesky things such as haircuts. There are dishes to be loaded, kids to be wiped, dogs to be fed.

So then I start to wonder if I too have joined the ranks of the Uglies. Maybe.....

Movie Night

2007-10-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

It is supposed to be my turn to pick the movie that we go and see on date night this week.

I reminded Colin of this and hinted that I might want to see Elizabeth or maybe the new Reese Witherspoon movie.

He shoots back with "You made me watch that Drew Barrymore / Hugh Grant movie - it is my turn to pick". The particular movie he is talking about is call Lyrics and .... I don't remember. And yes we did see it. About a year ago. We don't get out very often - but have been to several movies since then. One of which was Pan's Labyrinth which I could not even sit through it was so gruesome. His choice.

I politely ask which movie he wants to see. No idea. But does not want to watch my pick.

Which goes to show that some people can hold grudges for a very long time if they are forced to watch a Drew Barrymore movie.

Mission Impossible

2007-10-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

It was my flex day today and the kids & I had planned a special day to the Aquarium.

Usually we go to Tim Hortons on our special day - but because we were going into the city I decided that this warranted a change of pace & a stop at Starbucks.

Under normal circumstances I drive around until I find a drive thru Starbucks. Bringing the children into a place with silly shelves in the middle of the store and hot beverages is a retail nightmare. Weaving in and out of the parking lot is like playing chicken.

So we get onto Kinsgway..... searching for Starbucks with life saving drive thru. No can do. There are Starbucks everywhere, but none with a parking lot (in the event that I decided to tease fate) or drive thru. We get all the way to the Aquarium turn off. I make the radical decision to go over the Lions Gate bridge on the misinformed idea that the folks in West Van are more civilised.

But again no Drive thru. Kids are sleeping now. I have been driving for 1 hour looking for a drive thru Starbucks. I can TASTE the caramel machiato. I am sure the kids are dreaming of banana bread.

I head over to North Van. Surely these folks have herds of soccer mummies looking for a caffeine fix. Again NOTHING. I wonder how the Starbucks remain full. There ought to be a revolt. Drive Thru Starbucks for the city - not just the Burbs!

Finally after 1.5 hours of driving I find a Starbucks with a drive thru (on Hastings no less on my way back to the Aquarium after declaring defeat). By this point I am too hungry to contemplate a coffee. Kids are still asleep. We drive on to the Aquarium. Where I collapse and forget the packed lunch and order a $30 cafe lunch for us.

Damn you Starbucks!

Hello suction!

2007-10-09T21:41:00.001-07:00

Well our old vacuum cleaner coughed up its last hairball last week. We decided that it was time to grow up and trade in our 10 year old Kenmore for an Electrolux.

I was spending hours vacuuming (clearly not literally - if you have ever seen my house) and still finding cat hair, dog hair and the odd pube unwilling to be sucked up by the prowess of the Kenmore. I'd change the bag and still lack luster suction. So the upgrade was sought.

Initially the Dyson looked promising - but the guy in the commercial was kind of creepy. Someone who I envisioned chasing old ladies around with a hose to test suction. So we took advice from my mom - she loves her Electrolux circa 1988.

We checked everything out on line - it was $850 on the Sears.ca website. I found it on ebay for $338. The dollar hit par and bingo bango new vacuum flying to us via FedEx. Actually it was probably ground fed ex as it took 10 days to get here from Florida. Not the point.

I proudly declared it going through customs, gleefully paid my 'duty' - and still the vacuum was less than half of what it would have been here! Amazing!

Now we are vacuuming like newly weds.

ps I should not speak too badly about my old vacuum - as it now lives at my sisters home. I am sure that it is coughing up crap all over the place there too. Revenge for the 'lost' cabbage patch kid in 1986! bwababahahahaha!

All things wet....

2007-10-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well we are trying to 'potty train' the untrainable Rowan.

We have the tiny potty out for him in the kitchen (ewww). Although he refuses to use it and prefers to dangle precariously off the big potty. Any day now he is going to splash down into the porcelain god and be traumatised for life.
Fabulous. Can hardly wait to have a 10 year old in diapers.

I should know that the standard advice applies - No one goes to Kindergarten in diapers. I have given this advice to others. I want you all to know now that I was LYING. I have no idea whether any kids show up in diapers for kindergarten. Mine could be the first. Rowan seems to march to his own drummer. I am sure (hoping) that he just spontaneously starts to exclusively use the toilet.

The real problem is that on Christmas day 2006 Rowan said potty and peed on the potty at 18 months of age. This is what started my whole hope of toilet training prior to kindergarten. I *should* have KNOWN that this child would be the one to tease me for a full ten months. He actually will wake up with a dry diaper and ask to go pee in the morning. And then pee everywhere 1 hour later in the play room.

I am going to take a deep breath and hope that the pee fairy stops at our house tonight... hopefully deposit occurs in the appropriate bowl.

Bush Denies Low Income Children Health Care

2007-09-22T08:56:00.001-07:00

I am not sure who is handling this fellow - but yikes!

Just the PR aspect of making such a stupid statement. It is like he is a Muppet being handled by a Democrat. Humorous if it were not such a tragic comment on his capacity to govern.

Maybe Bush figures that because he is in the swan song of his presidency he may as well make a legacy. And why not make that Legacy a smack to the best resource any country has - their children.

This man makes me sick. He is ignorant and painfully stupid. I could handle that right up the point that he started to get vicious. Someone better reign in that rabid lap dog. And slap his owners with a fine.

I trust that the bond of motherhood will prevail above the lines drawn by political parties. I expect that this statement makes every mother sick to her stomach - except maybe Elisabeth Hasselback.

I am grateful to live in the country that I do.

Go Hilary GO! It is about time a mother hit the Whitehouse.

Parental Responsibilities

2007-09-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

I think that we can all agree (at least the mommies) that the division of labour in child rearing is not equal between the sexes. In fact to even have those words in the same sentence irks me.

And I think that it is a typical defense strategy of the male partners to portray and sometimes (taking their very lives into the path of danger) verbalise that they believe that they do most of the work.

An evening not long ago my partner in parenting thought that he ought to lament to fact that I had requested that he bath & story one child at bedtime (the other was asleep). I reminded said spouse that he had played hockey twice in the proceeding week and did not come home until well after bath time (although did hit end of story time one night). So I deserved a lay back with a bag of peanut butter M&Ms and Location, Location, Location.

Now I know that these discussions usually broil up into arguments which include pie charts, calendars and foot stomping. But what drives me mad isn't the actual division of labour (as I am well aware that I do more as I do the daycare drop off and pick up, most lunch packing, setting doctors appointments, organising birthday parties, doing laundry, etc) it is the sheer denial of level of work that I do with the added insult that I actually think that he believes that he does more!

There is a show here in Canada - in fact based in the Lower Mainland of BC- called Crash Test Mommy. It involves a typical mom challenging her husband, childless friends or family members who has critized her in the past - to live her life parenting for a weekend. The Mommy goes away for the weekend to the Spa and checks in and gives direction to the bug caught in the web. You get to watch the baby spiders close in on the prey. Great entertainment value.

Most times the show ends with Mommy coming home and the husband / friend/ family member crying that they never realised how hard it was the parent and get things done.

Colin does pitch in (he cooks dinner most night, we share bath & story duty, occasionally he makes a lunch) I just don't think that he recognises what I do on a regular basis. It is the denial and selling of the idea that he does more than I which makes me want to go on strike.

Maybe they are casting for Crash Test Mommy.....

I knew this was coming.....

2007-09-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

It is September, but there were warning signs before hand.

Weird scratches on the calendar, odd smells coming from the bathroom, sheepish looks around and hockey pools being drafted. Emails from 8 Rinks. There were signs of this coming....

So hockey season is here and Colin is back in the swing of his own hockey team. They way these guys revere hockey above all else is a bit frightening. The state that they let their gear get into is an abomination to public health. The stories of goals lost and found. Trips to the emergency room for both minor and serious injury. The wicked smelling hands creeping under the covers at night. The assault of the senses as the kids and I make our way down the gauntlet of putrid gear airing out (above the kitty litter box no less - and still the gear smells worse) on our way to the car.

I feel a bit unprepared. My washing machine has been put into double duty washing hockey gear in anticipation of this blessed event. Which begs the question - where has the gear been sitting since the end of last season and why for the love of God did you not clean this stuff out back in April? The tears in my eyes are not from frustration but from the sheer FUNK of the gear hanging in my bathroom.

Another gift from the hockey Gods is that they sometimes schedule games at dinner time - which means that we don't see Colin until the next day (after you factor in game time, 'cool off', and trip to the pub and transit). If it were not for the rank smell of his entrance into the matrimonial room I would not wake up when he arrived back home.

So welcome hockey. I am going to sign my boys up for soccer as I can not bear the thought of dealing with 3 sets of RANK FUNKY gear hanging in the garage.

Serenity Now.

hellooooo Fall!

2007-09-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

Well last week made me a bit nervous - what with all the warmth and air conditioning. I had actually packed up all the summer toys from outside, laid out the pools to be sun dried prior to being packed away, watered the petunias one last time and said farewell to the sand table. Only to be met with scorching hot sun for most of last week. And kids demanding Spiderman slip and slide.

But now we are into fall (technically not until the 23rd of September). The smells in the air, Halloween around the corner (yes I have bought the boys their costumes already 25% off at Old Navy!), birthdays and more birthdays (all those Christmas party babies) and the obsessive compulsive thoughts that come with Christmas planning. I LOVE this time of year!

There are practical things that I like about the fall. Hockey season starts and a social void is filled with exciting games (instead of the usual summer rerun fodder). I can wear sweaters and bundle up in the office - and there will always be the question of whether or not I am chubby or just cozy. Playdates inside (although i did really like the ones outside - but this way there can be more coffee and hot chocolate). I also like putting away all the summer clothes and pulling out the winter finds. Especially chuffed when I check the box and find a special Gap shirt or Gymboree item that I bought during a wicked sale... and put away for the fall / winter season. Ahhhh! The joy!

But my birthday is coming up - I have shared it with my nephew for the past 4 years. This means that his party tends to trump mine (which is okay because I do not love my own birthday parties). I think that it is a sign of getting older that I am not at all fazed by this - in fact I enjoy not having to come up with some amazing story about what I did for my birthday.

I am making this list for Colin and other families members in the event that they are wondering what to get me this year:

- Precious Memories gift certificates (already got one from work - THANKS!:)
- Reitmans gift certificate (plus pants for my bulbous behind and large shirts for the ample bosom)
- Chapters gift certificate
- Matt and Nat bag from the Satchel shop - groovy vegan brand.
- pedicure gift certificate - I will go this time. I go down a shoe size every time!

So that is it. Not as caustic as usual - but maybe that is because I am mellow because of the fall.....

2007-09-09T21:06:00.001-07:00

Fun Facts About Slime!

2007-09-09T20:53:00.001-07:00

I have a bit of a naturalist on my hands in the form of a 3.8 year old boy. Linden loves all bugs, animals and spiders.

Today he found a slug which he had to bring back home. In the process of transporting the treasure, the slug experienced some anxiety and slimed Linden's hands. Linden shows me his find, which we convince him to put outside so that it can go home. Between trying to save the slug from his plant stomping bug squashing brother (run Sluggy, RUN) and trying not to step on Sluggy, Linden gets slimed again.

We march into the bathroom to clean the slime off. Not only does the slime not react to water and soap - it appears to multiply at the thought of water. So now we have double the slime with the adhesive properties of rubber cement. We graduate to the dish soap (for some reason I thought that slime was related to grease - it is not). Not happy with the copious amounts of slime replicating in the bathroom we move to the kitchen for the larger sink. Where Nana produces a tooth brush and OVEN cleaner.

Time for mommy to stop the madness and check the internet for help. Before someone losses an eye.

Sure enough, confirmed on the internet (because clearly someone else has asked Jeeves this) Slime loves water. In fact that is one of the properties that scientists are studying. That and its amazing ability to withstand and adhere during the more vigorous scrubbing with all sorts of caustic agents.

Stopped the toothbrush / granulated cleaner (which had been located close to the oven cleaner - not really sure what it was) and dried the hands.

The rapidly rubbed hands back and forth together in manner of removing rubber cement (close cousin of slug slime). Voila - slug slime be gone.

Please print this out and put it on your fridge. One day you will need it.

The good news is that the flesh under the slime is protected by the slime to every agent you put on it. So child will not get chemical burn.

In all the hygiene drama Sluggy booked it back to the wild. Be free Sluggy.

Ebay Addiction

2007-09-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well it is official - although many have speculated - I am addicted to buying crap on Ebay.
Mostly scrapbooking crap - but the occasional car seat or Thomas item has been know to be bought.

And it really does not make too much sense - except for the fact that I am able to get the scrapbooking stuff cheap compared to the scrapbook nazis. But it mostly gets shipped to my friends cabin in Blaine. Which means a 2 hour drive (in the event I want to go during daylight). To get my cheap stuff. And it causes me great concern when it rains as I am never really sure if the metal embellishments will rust....

But I am addicted to the drama of the buy. Beating someone out for some ribbon. Triumphant over the greedy hordes by my cleaver math skills.

One day I hope to actually complete an album. Until then endless entertainment on ebay......

Doing the math....

2007-08-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

When deciding what kind of surface we were going to put down for the tree house 'structure', Colin thought about things in an economical way. Thus we have peat gravel.

But if he had thought about it this way maybe we would have had the more expensive rubber surfacing:

- How much would you pay not to have to shop vac the lawn before mowing the grass (lest you be blinded by a peat gravel rock being fired out by the lawnmower)?

- How much would you pay not to dig peat gravel out of the washing machine?

- How much would you pay not to find peat gravel on the dinner table?

- How much would you pay to not have peat gravel scratches all over your hand scrapped hardwood?

- How much would you pay not to co-ordinate rock extractions from mini noses?

Its not the initial cost of something, but the collateral costs of your decisions which should be taken into consideration.

For the record we would have bought the more expensive surfacing.

A baby boy...

2007-08-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

There are so many things that you are told once you have a baby.
But some advice which would be more practical to new parents of boys would be the following:

- you are going to spend a significant amount of time in the ER of your local hospital removing objects from noses, ears, stitches and gross rashes / bites from the outdoors.

- you are going to carry a medical kit with you in your car. With adult tylenol for you to administer as needed.

- the nurses Helpline will be programmed into your phone.

- there are going to be MANY decision points you are going to get to in regards to when to go to the hospital. Grape sized bruise and cut - meh...... maybe requires hospital. But hospital treatment may not warrant hanging out with 2 toddlers for hours to be told to go home & put some ice on it.

- Hot wheels cars do fit into a toddlers mouth - the entire car with mouth closed.

- you will learn to intercede less often - as most times when you do, the squirming child is more likely to engage in more dangerous rolls and turns resulting in an arguably worst injury.

- noses tend to always bleed profusely.

Having narrowly avoided a trip to the ER due to a rock up the nose, I thought that I should pass on this valuable advice.

Be strong you mom of sons!

Just 5 minutes....

2007-08-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

It seems there is only a 5 minute window each day that I am with the kids, that I can actually go upstairs to change laundry or go to the bathroom.

And the trick is to realise that you are in the 5 minute zone before it has lapsed. You may be re loading the dishwasher, paying bills, etc. But if you miss that peaceful 5 minutes then it is gone till tomorrow. That is a long time to wait to go pee.

And today I grabbed my 5 minutes just in time - by the time I was setting everything straight in the bathroom, the screamed had started again ' He hit me' 'Rowan ate my muffie' 'Linden bit me!'

Ahhh.. .maybe I should lay off the water during these days...

Jurassic Flora

2007-08-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Walking (again - that makes 3 times in the past week! I'll be Giselle thin by Christmas...) around the neighbourhood and I start to notice similar yet expensively finished houses. And then I am awe struck by one particular house. It is gorgeous and has turrets (which ironically fit into the mode of the hood...). And beside all of the Victorian finishes there is a 12 foot PLANT with a diameter of about 20 feet. It was massive! One of the fronds / rain catcher leaves was the size of my Micra. Scary. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't on some spontaneous reality TV game show.

This man plant scared me. And as I walked up the hill I noticed more of their kind lurking at turret peaks and edging up the side of clearly coloured Victorian mansions (surrey - who knew). And there were no cars or people around. Which immediately made me think of that horror movie form the 80s with the spiders. But the lawns looked too well manicured for the arachnoids to have taken over.

I will post a picture of these huge dinosaur proportioned plants. They are evil.... look like they dine on small children for breakfast. Perhaps I should sent a picture of them to Robert Munsch - then he could write a story about me! Or maybe the kids as having a 30 something mommy scared of plants is a bit wimpy.

On a similar note the petunias are behaving as though they have leporosy. How come spell check doesn't recognise biblical diseases? One touch an a stem of flowers falls off. And on one I saw a coating of baby worms. Ewwww. Time to bring out the blow torch.

Walking in the Hood

2007-08-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have started to walk the dogs at night.

Mostly to get some exercise, a bit to rumminate & go over the work day before going to bed.
And a little bit because of all the buzz the dogs create.. People love the dogs!

Initially I thought that I had forgotten a vital piece of clothing - but soon got used to the gawking and the fawning over the celebupups. The remarks are a bit stunning - like being asked if they are twin beagles (?) or if they have ever been in a commercial. At which point I have to point out that there is a downside to owning a beagle (aside from the fact that everyone in the public seems to show them more affection than your children). They occassionally eat their own waste... but even this does not deter the most ardent admirers...

While walking tonight, amid the usual paparazzi fan fare, I started to really look at the houses I was passing. Most of them were 5,000 square feet +, most had tiered back yards, pools, three to four car garages, lots of nice cars (and a shocking number of Ford Windstars.... perhaps the nanny mobile?). I started to wonder about who actually required that much space to live in. And who would buy a new driver (from all of the Ns in the rear windows) a mustang or Acura SUV?

And then more questions started:
like what kinds of jobs do these people have? Are they looking for more employees?
who looks after their kids while they are working? The Ford minivan driver?
how many of these gorgeous homes are grow ops?
where do they find their gardeners? What kind of hose would you need to reach up the 12 foot embankment?

And most of all I wonder if one day I too could afford for someone to water my forsasken petunias...
Not likely on my BC Gov wage...

Respect

2007-07-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well some of you knew that I was 'on my own' this past week.
You could tell by the incessant screaming / crying every time you called, or perhaps what gave it away was that I was late for work every single day last week or maybe it was that unmade up face and hair in a pony tail ALL WEEK.

Some pretty weird things happened while Colin was away:

- I forgot the kids lunch for daycare on Monday (never happened before in 2.5 years)
- Linden got a rock stuck up his nose and almost had to be taken to the ER (thankfully Gayle Uber daycare provier convinced him to hold one nostril and snort out the other)
- Rowan smashed his face after a birthday party while trying to get into his car seat via the front seat. Hideous bloody nose fest ensued.
- Linden bit Rowan 3x - so that he had circular tatoos on either arm.

So I would like to toast every single mother past, present and future. You do an amazing job and are probably not given enough respect by your friends, family, peers and co workers. I salute you!

Rotting Petunias

2007-07-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

I can't grow a thing except petunias. For some reason they flourish in my backyard. There have been some casualties over the years but by far they are my indestructible plant.

But this rain is making them ROT. I try to deadhead the mushy flowers - but every time I think that I have cleared them out, more take their place!

Please be sunny tomorrow. I can't bear the thought of having no flowers for august...

Fecking Chapters Indigo!

2007-07-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

So I decided that on friday night I was not going to hang out at Chapters in Langley to get the new Harry Potter book. One reason was because I was quite tired, but the real reason was, and I am ashamed to admit it, but I might have elbowed a small child out of the way to get my hands on a copy (the madness of a mother at 12:01). It would not have been a good career move.

So like a rational adult I went about my business on saturday, visiting family, attending a birthday party, visiting family again. Needed to buy some groceries so I went out (in part motivated by the thought of picking up the tome at Superstore - those who have read this blog know that I loath grocery shopping with the rest of the damned on Saturday night).

Sold out. Getting a bit panicky I decide that I will go to Chapters. I went through their Hogwarts styled entrance and noticed that there was an unusual number of 30 year old folks walkng around with miscelaneous items in their hands roaming around the Harry Potter display. No books. I go to the Childrens section. No book (and no display). I start to wander around in the same circular fashion as the other 30 somethings in the middle of the store. The behaviour of the group is the same that I imagine the patrons of a porn shop. A bit bow headed, checking around furtively trying to locate their item (too scared to ask where to find the glitter condoms), avoiding eye contact with other patrons lest they recognise you.

Finally I make eye contact with another woman. We determine that our quest is the same. We corner a scared clerk who advises us that they are SOLD OUT. Will not be getting reinforcements until Monday. Not even a bloody sign! You could hear the collective sign of the group and we all dumped our decoy items and schlepped out of the store. The original member of my team & I vowed to avoid the media for the next few days in the event that one of them let out the secret to the book (Sixth Sense anyone?).

I went back to Chapters on Monday and found that they still did not have the books out on the floor. Instead they were piled up behind the cashiers. Like you had to ask for them the same way you would have to purchase cigarettes at a gas station. I said enough of this and went to Costco where I picked up the book (where they were easily accessible on a block pallette, cleaverly stocked with the rest of the books) for $10 less than it was at Chapters. With the money saved I bought a Costco size pack of M&Ms.

In the end good triumphed over evil. I hope I can say the same for the book which I started last night (about 60 hours after the rest of the world). Hmmmph.

No birthday cake

2007-07-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

It is official. I am a horrible birthday mommy.

Rowan celebrated 2 years of survival (in the urban jungle sense of the term) and we had a BBQ pool party for him & assorted buddies. To be honest they were mostly Linden's buddies with their age appropriate siblings to make up the kid quota.

"Mommy" (quatations only because I suspect that I am on probation with the Muffia) decided that we would not have a birthday cake but would do 'birthday ice cream cones' instead. To a person everyone asked about the birthday cake. And then Linden, trying to vindicate his mommy, asked, "maybe ice cream cake?" To which I had to reply no. Ice cream cones.

Trauma for everyone. Pictures ruined as Mommy only lit one candle for the ice cream cone due to being flustered about social faux pas of no bday cake.

Better luck next year.

2007-07-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

2007-07-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

Gazillion bubbles attack!

2007-07-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

The kids love this machine, however it sucks back bubble mix faster than a Hummer on a city trip!
Amazing consumption!
But it is a pretty cool...

Camping Amigoes....

2007-07-08T23:25:00.001-07:00

Colin & Linden are on their first ever father / son camping trip.
Of course Colin had to go to a place that doesn't have cell reception - which means that I am thinking of every horrific thing that can happen to a pre schooler at a camp ground. Such as choking on hotdogs, bitten by west nile infected mosquitoes, getting OFF in his his eyes, falling into the lake, wild bears and carbon monixide poisoning. Does that even happen camping or is that just cabins?
But I am sure the little man doing well, it is the big man that I worry about after an exhausting evening of assuring that none of the above things happen. Then get rewarded with a sleep on an air mattress with the 3 foot kung foo fighter as a bed mate...
Yea Camping!

2007-07-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hmmm. A baby hippo. That according to the knowledgeable people who draft the witty sayings on GAP kids jammies, is approximately how much I weigh.

Hmmm. Perhaps I should burn those pjs... Super Sorry Linden. Mommy couldn't handle the reminder.

It is difficult to imagine having the time to count calories again and get back down to 165 (my lowest since about 1997). The good news is that I lost 35 pounds last time on Weight watchers (in 2002 - 2003) and didn't climb back up to that horrific starting point until very recently.

I don't recall exactly how my time started to get eaten away in 15 increments - but it has and now I am wondering where I will find another 15 minutes to plan calories wise meals so that I don't scarf everything I see when I get home from work.

I need to do this. Can't really afford to pay weight watchers 15 a week - so maybe this forum will keep me accountable.

I can't title this entry - blogger is driving me nuts.

thank you

2007-06-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Just a quick thank you to everyone who sent emails messages, phone calls, cards and flowers. Although I have not been able to respond to everyone, please know that I am grateful to have such wonderful support.

Another thank you to those who shared their stories of loss and recovery. I know that miscarriages happen more often than we know in our friendship circle. It was comforting to hear the stories of those who have experienced the same loss. It really is something that you never really get over, but rather incorporate it into your self.

Thank you again.

Misconception

2007-06-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

It took just a few words to confirm my worst thoughts.

No fetal heartbeat. Amniotic sac continued to progress to 10 weeks, fetus stopped growing at 8 weeks.
Did I want to stay for a D&C - recommended as I was 12 weeks and nothing was progressing as planned (pregnancy or miscarriage).

So I stayed, and about 10 hours later the D&C was complete (quite a quick procedure and relatively painless physically).

A bit of a weird time - trying to slowly come to terms of the practical. Who is going to pick up the kids, who is going to tell everyone, who is going to call work. Can I call Colin and tell him what is going on without crying and wasting all my batteries trying to blurt it out.

Random thoughts. Like thank God we didn't tell the kids, didn't buy anything or pull out the maternity clothes, I'm going to have to work over the holidays, will I be able finally lose these extra 25 pounds (not this pregnancy related but from Rowan), it wil be nice to have a glass of wine to get through this, and finally won't this day ever be over?

Everything changed on Monday. Everything stayed the same as well.

While I am sad that this chapter won't end on a happy note, I am also reminded of all the gifts I have. 2 healthy children, a loving husband and a wagon full of caring family and friends and work colleagues.

In the end
This too shall pass....

And baby makes 5

2007-05-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well I think that we have told all the relevant family members - so here comes our news officially.

We are pregnant again & expecting in December. I feel fine, although a bit tired. Not a lot of nausea.

We have been debating as to whether or not we are going to find out the gender of this new Redekop.

There is significant pressure to have a girl (as there only boy cousins on both sides of the family). However I would like to know for more practical reasons. If it is a boy then I will stop lending out my boy stuff. But if it is a girl then I can start to shop the sales! But truth be told I am just a nosy nelly....

If you have any boys names or girl names that you could suggest that would be great. Our steadfast girl name has been snatched by a co worker (although it does go amazingly well with her first child's name).

I struggle with the term 'we are pregnant' because clearly 'WE' are not pregnant. I am pregnant and I am going to be the one to have 2 needles in my spine & go through abdominal surgery again. And I am going to be the one who is going to be a human milk truck for the entire year of 2008. Colin gets to do the fun stuff. Like sleep through the night. The whole 'we' concept is for newbies who have not figured out that the job is not 50 / 50 (more like 80 / 20 on a good day).

Stay tuned....

The X Factor

2007-05-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

I need to clearly state that I do not endorse the following activity.

You should not google ex boyfriends - unless you are prepared to deal with the feelings of inadequacy in the event that they are leading their life dream of being an indie rock star.

This happened to me last night when I typed in my first boyfriends name into the effective search engine from HELL.

Turns out said ex boyfriend - who went out with me for about 5 years from the ages of 15 - 20 - has become a member of a alternative rock band which has gained significant acclaim in the UK.

I should note that I was not a great girlfriend and we actually broke up over the phone during When Harry Met Sally. There is probably a song on their new album called - 'Can't believe that Bag Dumped me During a Commercial Break'.

But hearing that someone that I spent some formative years with is actually doing something COOL was quiet disturbing. I now feel very old - like I would be mistaken for one of band members mother as opposed to former girlfriend.

Is this the slide into middle age? Every once in a while I catch myself sliding towards my 40s.... without a lot of fanfare. Just another hourly wage earner paying off the mortgage. I think that it may be time to make a big life decision - like move to the UK to practive social work. Or the UN. Or something exciting. So that when I am googled it says that I have actually done something exciting and unique.

Don't get me wrong - I love my husband, my children and my dogs (and I guess my house with its 90's sea foam green carpet). But I crave to do something out of the predictable. I want my kids to have a story to be able to experience life instead of sitting in our cookie cutter house watching Friends Reruns.

Or maybe I just need a mani / pedi & snap out of this malaise.

James if you are curious the band's name is Elizabeth & I believe they have some concert dates coming up in London. And not Ontario but England.

Spin till you yak......

2007-05-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

There is a new game at my house - spin your brother till he throws up (or stumbles around like a partygo-er on Granville Street). This is great fun for the boys - less fun for me as I either am cleaning up or trying to weave them around previously safe items sucvh as the coffee table, floor, walls, etc. And of course the inevitable tears if the spinning game is stopped before the above mentioned events take place.

I have been reflecting lately about what it means to parent two boys. I have all the books, Raising Caine, The Wonder of Boys, etc. But I have not really had time to read them as I am usually falling into bed shortly after them. Which I think is a symptom of parenting boys... there are no real 'down times' where they colour (usually eat the crayons or else use them as Bewers), watch a movie (well Linden will sit, but then Rowan initiates the spinning game.....), or play quietly (usually whatever they are playing with gets turned into a Bewer...). So where is the time to 'educate' myself about boys? I suppose I will need to make the time before they get to school so that I can advocate for them as they pretend to bew everyone on the playground.

So here's to all the mother of boys - go on through these uncharted waters & hopefully I'll see you at the end!

Autumn Jenkinson

2007-05-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

I came into work today and was greeted with the news that one of the social workers that I knew from Langley (and lately Abbotsford) was killed in a motorcycle accident in Abbotsford on the weekend.

I didn't know Autumn well, but she was always someone who smiled first, someone who was truely interested in what you had to say and someone who remembered your name. She had a gap toothed smile that could lightup a room and she had a great sense for funky accessories. I also learned today that she was the single parent of a 9 year old girl.

Life can change so quickly, in a moment all can shift in the most tragic way. I don't doubt that Autumn spent her last day in good cheer as that seemed to be the way she led her life. I just can't get over how young she was (30) and the loss is so shocking for her family and co workers. Most of all I think about her daughter, all of a sudden motherless.

So here's to you Autumn, I wish your family and friends the strength that they need to get through this moment. I will miss your smile.

And they are running the world...

2007-04-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

I am always stunned that the majority of people in leadership roles in our world are men.

The folks who can't aim into a toilet bowl, find cheese in the fridge, fold a towel properly, multi task on any level or consume a soft drink without auditory assistance are also the same folks who know where the red button is for nuclear war.

How can they be making the majority of decisions in the political world? How can George Bush ever have the insight let alone multi tasking skill to 'rebuild Iraq'?

Am I the only one confused by this phenomenon?

Meerkat Manor!

2007-04-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

My new favourite show!
I ordered the Animal Planet channel just to keep up with these little guys.
It is really a show which profiles a meerkat family (The Whiskers) through several cameras which have been put up around the meerkat den. These animals are so social that it is like watching a soap opera - meerkat style.
I like to think that the kids like the show - however Linden is no longer keen when he knows that Toopy & Bino is on at the same time.

Go Canucks GO!!!!

2007-04-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Wow what a great game!

I have to admit that we scared our own little Linden when Trevor Linden scored in the 3rd period.
But all was forgiven when he heard his name on the TV.

Yeah Canucks! They just seem to love game 7s....

Just another day on the farm...

2007-04-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

Soon it will the boys climbing up the trees and not being placed there by pose crazed parents.
Had another great day with the in laws. They take such good care of us!
Linden had his first sleep over - with minimal (if any) rough patches. He barely said goodbye to us, then when I went to get him today he did not run up for a hug or anything. Until he got bonked in the head by a salt brick (?). Farm house dangers? Then it was all tears & Mommy.
Rowan wasn't sure what to make of life at home without Linden. He was a bit dismayed to find that he had 2 parents to watch him intently & intercede before he got into trouble. I suspect that Rowan has a new appreciation for the distraction his brother creates.

2007-04-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

Another Homemade Power Ranger production by the Redekops....
Linden is playing the part of Red Ranger & Rowan is ChickenZord - age old nemesis of the Red Ranger.
Stay tuned....

2007-04-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

You might not recognise BeagleZord - but I assure you she will be appearing in many Redekop masterpieces this year!
A Zord is from Power Rangers for all the unitiated....

2007-04-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Family picture - these rarely happen and as you can tell there are reasons why! ;)

2007-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Carson, Brady, Rowan & Linden - Easter at Granny & Grandad's house!

Veggie Meatballs are just wrong....

2007-04-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

During a recent grocery shop I decided to try veggie near meatballs. And I have to say that they look & taste like crap. And usually I talk up the soy products as I think they are healthier - but this one has to get a resounding NO.

Easter has been pretty goood so far - one more family do to attend. Colin forgot to get my anything - but luckily I saved the day by producing some Purdys for myself. I have to say that he used to be much better at these things - but I am sensing a do it yourself Christmas this year. I wonder what I will get myself? This behaviour might be contagious as I suspect that some of his buddies at work default to the same 'no gift is a good gift' MO. I wonder if there is refresher boot camp for husbands after the 6th year of marriage?

Perhaps that is the real reason why couples split up after the 7 year mark - it isn't the urge to merge with another, but rather the urge to get an appropriate birthday present... But maybe that is why women tend to make better friendships.

Go Canucks Go!

Random Road Rage

2007-04-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

I was driving to work a few days ago and found myself so annoyed with a fellow driver (someone who blew a red light when I was trying to make a left hand turn) that I wanted to rip their arm from their body and then beat them with the wet end.
I typically don't get so annoyed - in fact I am often the voice of reason when Colin gets angry and fellow people on the road. Ironically most of my " oh grow up" comments to Colin about his 'road rage' occurs at the same light where I felt limb-icidal.

So what causes such frustration? Was it bacause I was running late - not likely as I relish arriving late. Was it because I was travelling without the kids and therefore felt able to 'road rage'? Not likely as I am usually enjoying lame talk radio when the kids are elsewhere. Or was it because I had witnessed one too many boobs (gender neutral term in this context) burn the red light trying to get to the overpass - therefore clogging my way in and out of my small community.

That must be it. I have delayed reaction Fraser Heights resident rage. Beware.

ps Colin fixed our furnace with minimal hair pulling. Grateful for the heat at the beginning of April with all the snow and all...

top 5 baby items...

2007-04-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

#1 - Baby Bjorn (those swedes know how to make a carrier!)
#2 - Phil & Ted stroller - ultimate stroller for babies close together in age
#3 - Baby Gap jeans - love them!
#4 - Baby Gap sleepers
#5 - Red Goose shoes (AKA Buster Browns)

Sunday shopping - madness!

2007-04-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Went into Vancouver today to go to MEC as Linden's fleece jacket is starting to look like something Britney Spears would wear out clubbing. So he is now in a size 6 - gasp! How did my little baby start to grow like a real kid? But only in jackets thank goodness. Also bought him some cute water resistant shorts.

We have split ways with Parker in regards to outerwear - Parker got the beige jacket. At least now we will be able to tell them apart as they run away from us at the playground/ park/ grocery store, etc.

It was our anniversary lasy night - Colin planned everything. Well he organised the babysitter (his mom). But everything else was a crapshoot. Good grief. I guess this means I will be picking out his retirement home....

I did a shift at After Hours on the weekend. I loved it and hope one day to work there. It was nice to be in such a small office. I guess we need to make a decision about whether or not we are going to have another baby. If so then I will wait till after my mat leave to go. But if this is it then I am going to apply & start as soon as possible. Just think of it - home with the boys! Exhausted - but home.

Time will tell... stay tuned. I would miss Law & Order though.... and 30 Rock. And the Amazing Race.

Jenn - are the Polly Pockets getting wind blown? If so I think that I have found one of their windshields while cleaning up the playroom....

Just another wednesday

2007-03-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

Strange but I felt randomly hostile as Colin's mother reported that not one, not two but three of his female cousins are up the pole & due around the same time. Good grief. It is like they are on some sort of mating cycle out there - this will be the third baby for all three. Which means that I will either spontaneously ovulate every time I see them or else invest in some really good wine to remind myself that there are some things I would have to give up in order to be with child again.

I can HEAR the xbox from the lame computer in the den! Xbox meet glass of wine..... only one of you will come out in working condition and I am rooting for the wine!

Scottish maven mocked me again today at work about the blog - I will never tell her anything ever again. And I certainly won't show her how to start her own! She is bursting with child and still able to get in enough breath to mock... not for long sister!

Kids were brilliant today - both threw out their easter 'puppets' made at daycare. Of course threw out is the polite way of saying threw from the car as we were driving down 96th - so some poor long haul truck driver is going to get one impaled on his windscreen. Both laughed as though it was the funniest thing ever. Meanwhile I am having heart palpitations in the front seat thinking that they are throwing out their clothing....

Again no wine. But defrosting 'ripe' bananas on the sideboard which require squishing & baking into 'muffies'.

xbox nightmare....

2007-03-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

Apparently we need an xbox to compliment our imac. Which sounds like a load of hooey to me. But Colin was clear that he needed one to get the most out of the imac. Right.... Just one more thing for him to play with. But instead of being hidden in the den & allowing me free access to the tv to watch my nature shows (when lions behave badly & the like), the Xbox threatens my recreational time. This may not last - our next purchase might be a tv for Colin to take into the den (which has been abandoned as a storage room).

At work today I was MOCKED by my scottish colleague for having a blog. Oh the humanity! There is a certain amount of pressure to be 'witty' on this blog. But I am afraid that I am not funny all the time. Or even most of the time. Sometimes but definately not always.

I bought a bag of Bridge Mixture over the weekend - but I must confess to only liking the chocolate covered jelly portions. The rest of it I could chuck and reluctantly eat to avoid being called a waster by my randomly recycling spouse. But this time I have decided that I am only going to eat the jelly ones. The rest will go into the compost. Which I am sure is not meant for the compost.

See, not funny. Maybe next time.

good old days....

2007-03-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about the 'good old days' of university. Mainly because I was in the car listening to the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack and reminded about all the goofy things that happened. Like how I had to listen to Sharon & her uber boyfriend at the time get busy ALL NIGHT long (they thought that I was out), or when we tried to bake a cake in a too small pan, or when I thought that Sharon might have ebola (due to no eye makeup), or when we had to endure phone messges during exams which mocked us (from a fine arts majoy friend), or when we make chicken cayenen instead of paprika (and ate it anyway because we were starving), or when I yakked out of the car three blocks away from a house party. Ahh the memories. One day I will put them all on here. It reminded me that I miss my friend Sharon & I really should make more of an effort to stay in touch.

But that is a slice to enjoy at another time.

I spent an large amount of time at UVic feeling like I was 17. Great hair and at times the body to match. But now I am thoroughly disabused of that notion as my ass is the size of a helipad (why? why?) and I am now feeling like I am 35. I am only 31. How did THAT happen? Horrific jump ahead in time. Maybe because I went grocery shopping tonight (a saturday!) at Superstore at 9pm with all the other losers. It was sad. The frozen food section had been picked over, there wasn't an organic egg to be found, obviously my prized organic PC milk was SOLD out and I was surrounded by profoundly sad people. New parents with tiny babies crying, group home staff shopping for the home, teens searching for the cheapest 'mix' for their party, goofy teenage girls buying hair dye, and other moms like me trying to shop while the kids are sleeping & the husband is entertained with the new computer. I felt like a retail refugee. There were actually people sitting on the furniture chatting about their weekend plans. Sort of like a coffee house for sad people too cheap to actually go to a Starbucks.

If only their organic stuff wasn't so good & their dry goods so cheap I'd shop elsewhere. But I have a feeling that Safeway & Save On aren't really hubs of hip moms shopping on saturday night. I'd likely run into the same group of droolers.

I seem to be unusually quite right now - this is partially because I emailed everyone my blog - then promptly got stage fright. As though great things would be expected.

We have our iMac! It is gorgeous. Now I can make dinner and watch ebay at the same time!