And baby makes 5

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

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......

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

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...

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!

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!!!!

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....