Reality Check

Ten years ago if you asked me to describe my life ten years form then I certainly never dreamed up sleepless nights and baby puke. My main topic of conversation seems to be my toddler's potty visits and baby's bowel movements. The highlight of my week was purchasing a magic bullet at Costco and seeing all the cool crap I could now "blend" in one easy to use container.

I always thought I would be thin and trendy. Not tucking in my post-baby belly into my jeans that I bought at Old Navy for $20. My only connection to the outside lately seems to be fed to me through my Google homepage where I keep current on world issues such as, Bradgelina's 20th kid and Britney Spears visit to crazytown.

But as this is the state of my life....for now. It is refreshing to be able to live my days without vanity on the top of the list. To laugh everyday while watching my baby in a jolly jumper. And to be rewarded with the words, "Mommy, I love you."

Nothing says, "I love you," like the sounds of a battleground.

So Valenitne's this year was awesome...we both exchanged thoughtful loving gifts and went out for a great date night.

I got a huge box of Bernard Callebaut chocolates with all my favorites ones in multiples...and my husband got Call of Duty #4, for the X-Box 360. In love languages...video game/ and video game playing time is my husband's currency.

But I have to say, now that we have our kid going to bed at a reasonable hour (most nights), I have been going straight to bed because I am 36 weeks pregnant and do a lot better with my feet up then anywhere else. So Tony has been getting a lot of video game time. And I have to say I have never had a happier hubby.

I wish I could say it was bonding over the expected arrival that was enriching our marriage. But no, it has been the time apart. Tony shooting things and bonding with strangers on X-box Live, and I in our bedroom watching chick flicks and eating oreos.

Strangely enough...our marriage has never been better. We genuinely love each other more, are doing thoughtful things for each other more, helping each other more, kissing more....all because I am feeding him some serious downtime doing what he loves in order to decompress. Who knew?

I am still alive. I know you were worried.

If you are wondering why I haven't blogged for so long, it is because I actually forgot that I had one. I am not kidding. The other day my brother was telling me how funny his wife's blog was lately, and I thought to myself...oh yeah, a blog...I think I have one of those things hanging around tha is surviving without any love or attention. And so life continues on...

For people reading this that care about my life, I will update you. I am 31-32 weeks pregnant. My ultrasound would say 34 weeks but I know when we conceived because it was literally the first time we tried to get pregnant and whammo...Tony got one past the goalie. Unlike last time which took months..so we were excited! My due date is March 17th. I am huge and very uncomfortable. I have past the cute belly stage. And I am totally into the slow walking, can't see my shoes, avoid picking things up off the floor at all costs, phase of pregnancy.

Jacob is 2 and a half. Angel at 2 years and 5 months. Little devil child from my worst nightmares at 2 years and 6 months. He has taken "No" to another level. Everything is an ordeal, from eating breakfast to getting dressed. My only bargaining chip is Dora or Diego. He's 35 lbs...I am super pregnant. I am at his mercy. He has a meltdown I can't even pick him up and carry him to the car. I just wait for the storm to pass. And boy is that fun....

I love living in Sherwood Park. I love that everything is a 5 minute drive and a 5 minute or less line-up. And the Honda Pilot Tony got me is a dream come true. It is freezing out but I put on that seat warmer button and there is a warm bum for the prego Momma. Love it!

Well that is all for now, Jacob is having a nap for the first time in about a month so I need to put my feet up and eat something bad for me. Preferably something with a chocolate and peanut butter combination to it!

Sit Ubu sit....good dog!

I haven't blogged in a long time. Frankly I think it was a combination of nothing interesting to share, and just wanting to do other things with my spare time.

We are expecting another baby, due in March. I am almost at the 5 month mark which has come along much too fast. I am already seriously sporting a tummy and cannot stop baking things that are bad for me, but other than that feeling fairly reasonable. I don't have any name prospects. I was reading the top 100 baby names of the last 5 years or so...and nothing really stuck out to me. And then there is the spousal Vito power where if the other doesn't like it and you love it, too bad, so sad, it is off the list.

My toddler who is 27 months is really quite a lot of fun. I think the terrible twos started about 15 months old and ended at 24 months. And yes, I know...you are thinking, "just wait...your in for some fun.' But I have discovered something essential to the good behaviour of my son. He is like my German Shepherd we had growing up. He is a very smart, social, high energy dog?...you ask. Well our family dog Jackson needed to get out and RUN. We needed to play with him at least twice a day. He would then be very good in the house and take a good nap that day. Now if you don't get him out and RUN him...he was looking for multiple ways to get into mischief, constantly annoying you, and getting into trouble all day long.

The same goes for a toddler. Get out of the house, get some fresh air and physical activity...and he is a dreamy angelic kid. Let him fend for himself and keep him in the house all day and you are going to find him unloading your pantry shelves all over the kitchen floor, relocating his toys into various locations so that when you walk into the bathroom things like musical instruments and stuffed animals are there for your entertainment. Everywhere you go, and with everything you are trying to accomplish, he is right there, preferably in between your feet or hugging your leg. And he'll be all listless and bored and whiny.

So no matter what it is like outside, or how sick I might be with a cold...we get out of the house. I need to run my toddler so he's a good little doggie!

Use your words

If you are a parent and you are using phrases during your child's outburst's like, "use your words," then you probably have a toddler.

Mine has been saying a dozen new words a day and it's all mixed in with his own style of gibberish and hand motions it does feel like I am constantly solving certain linguistic equations in order to decipher the wants and needs of my child.

It has been really fun to hear what comes out of his mouth lately especially since half of his verbal education comes from his best friends on TV Diego and Dora who help teach children Spanish as part of their programming.

So when Jacob haded something to his Dad the other day and said "aubrey" instead of "open" we had to laugh...now I need to learn Spanish words too.

food on my mind

Lately all I have wanted to do is eat at the Olive Garden. It isn't close, we have to drive into the city...and every time we go there, it is an hour wait which you just can't do with a two year old..nor justify because is it really worth it? I mean I have wanted to eat there for so long I think I have built it up in my mind as some gourmet amazing food experience when it could really be...well, crap!

I just can't remember...it's been so long.

Travelling with a Toddler.

So we are planning a big trip to Ottawa/ Montreal and we are taking our toddler.

Travelling with a toddler makes everything...hard work.

There aren't any direct flights from where we are so we are leaving from Calgary. We need to keep airport time down to a minimum...get in and get out!

I will be sacrificing valuable outfit options to make space for toys, book, and games in order for the munchkin to have more to occupy him on the trip.

My husband and i will each have a bag but for the kid: Suitcase, playpen, stroller, car seat...carry-on of in-flight activities, and portable DVD player. Need I say more?

And now that he is two...it costs the same for him as us to fly...yikes $$$.

All I have to say if your not a planner, and used to living an a routine or schedule. Motherhood certainly molds you to be this way. Eventually you just say "I give!" and start making lists and planning weeks in advance because life just goes a lot more smoothly if you can do so. And then when things happen that throw you of the schedule...oh no! Mini breakdowns occur, you don't want to mess with the precious schedule! And let's just say travelling turns it all upside down!

Motherhood is like the army. It breaks you down and builds you back up. But it's all for a good cause! :)

First Weekend Away

So my husband and I dropped our two year old off at the Grandparents to have a weekend away. The first one in two years. One of my favorite people in the whole world was getting married and it was in a beautiful getaway place near Fernie.

I thought the weekend would be full of friends, much needed sleep, maybe I'd get lucky...? But we both came down with terrible head colds...so much for the sleep and romance. It was full of cough drops and Kleenex.

At least it was compensated for with an unbelievable wedding and seeing old friends. I forgot all about being sick when I was around them. And what a dress on the bride! I felt sad when we left because I knew it would be a long time befor ewe were all hanging out together like that again.

I have to say I thought leaving Jacob wouldn't be too hard. But both my husband and I missed him so much. With no cell phones, due to us being out of range, we wondered about him the entire time and were so happy to have him run into our arms so happy to see us again.

Harry Potter Fan

I am looking forward to the next Harry Potter book release. And I will probably see the next Potter movie in the theatre alongside all the junior high aged brats that talk through the whole thing...

In honour of the Potter fans out there here's a little fun to get you geared up for July, month of the Potter.

Potter Puppet Pals

Girl's night out.

Last night was girl's night.

We just went out to a restaurant, ordered a lot of food.

Talked until we were the last ones in the place.

And left feeling so full. Not from food but from laughter, common experience, and genuine understanding.

Women need women. We bond.

structuralism vs. functionalism

So I started a Psych class through Athabasca University.

I want to see if I can actually focus in on anything that requires me to "stick." I realized I am a chronic quitter. Things get hard, or worse, boring and I quit. And my problem is, I usually get bored really fast.

But I am still thinking about that degree I never quite got motivated to do and thought...maybe I'll just do it now.

So Chapter one: Structuralism vs. Functionalism....oh crap, I am bored already!

It's True About Two

I thought the terrible two's started early...about 18-20 months old. Well he's about to turn two and boy was I mistaken. Jacob just put his curiosity into high gear and I am literally following him everywhere he goes putting his damaged path back together...all day long!

Yesterday he stacked up packaged bowls of noodles in a big tower and then took a wooden spoon out of a drawer in the kitchen and started whacking them off like T-Ball. I walk into the living room and see Mr. Noodles flying past me.

Jen (my friend with twins) you did toddler life times two and finished your Master's Degree. YOU ARE MY HERO!

I thought the tantrums, the unloading of every cupboard and drawer...the whining, pointing, screaming way of communication was at it's peak season 4 months ago...but he's bigger and stronger and more determined than ever before.

Wrestling him to the ground to change a diaper and watching him kick and stomp the floor when he's not getting his way. Is frankly, comedy at it's finest.

Half my day I think I should just set the camera up and let it roll...the things I have missed and am laughing hysterically about later when I have a minute to myself. Seriously, this kid can clear a shelf way faster than I could have imagined.

You have no idea until you see it in action. The most hilarious and sometimes frustrating thing is when he does something after I have said "NO!"...and then claps and cheers for himself...shouting, "YAY!"

These are the things my husband hears about at dinner time.

When it Rains it Pours

We are moving this weekend.

And we aren't hiring anyone to help us...

And I am tired already, its midnight and I have to get up before dawn to go get a truck from U-haul.

I thought I would start my week with a little packing each day until it was done. But come Monday morning we found out that the City of Calgary never inspected our furnace after it was installed. This is apparently the contractor's responsibility and we were not aware that an inspection was required. The furnace was installed 2 years ago and we haven't had any problems with it so we didn't give it another thought. Well our new owners took possession Tuesday.

So I packed up my kid and drive madly down to Calgary set up an inspection for Tuesday morning before the new owners arrive and bad news...it isn't good. So the inspector writes up a huge list of things that aren't up to 'code' and I hit the yellow pages trying to find a furnace guy that can fix it pronto.

It isn't worth trying to get the last guy to fix it because a) he obviously didn't care to begin with and b) I could hassle him for months before he does anything and I need it done now. So I am on the hook.

So I get a plumbing/ heating company to check everything out and give me a quote. Guess what it came to...? $2100. (I know I cried too.) Not to mention the gas to drive there and back and the rental care for Tony while I was gone because it took 3 days to clear it all up. So a total of $2500 gone in a second. Oh yeah, and then I get to come back and pack an entire house.

I need a vacation. Apparently a cheap one because my fun budget just got blown on a furnace that no longer belongs to me.

The First Step is to Admit You Have a Problem

Facebook.

I am addicted.

I need help.

I am on Facebook way too much.

Just when I thought I needed to spend less time on the Internet...Facebook gave me yet another reason to suck more of my free time away from me. I haven't read my book since Facebook. Why go to the gym, when I can sit on my butt and hang out on Facebook? I need to scale back the facebooking...I wonder if I could go a whole day without facebook...um, let's not get carried away now!

For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about go to www.facebook.com

Belly Dancing Intro

So I started a belly dancing class yesterday. My sister-in-law who is practically gone pro she loves it so much made me want to try it. Her enthusiasm is so contagious. I signed up to a local yoga studio that offers the class and it was sooo awful!

The room was dark and hot, there weren't any mirrors on the wall so it was hard to follow the instructor and the teacher was dreadfully boring.

I was expecting pumped music, jingling hips, and a lot of bootee shaking! All we did was arm, neck, and shoulder work.

All of those muscles are tender this morning because they required a lot of focus for and hour....but not one single shaky shaky? Come on! What the hell is going on here? I paid good money to shake my money-maker and I expected an environment to be a crazy silly dancer.

I really hope this gets better. My sister-in-law has a much better instructor than I do. But I can't move to Ottawa just for the belly dancing.

Moi Lately

Update on nothing much,

We are going to Calgary this weekend so we can drop off keys to the house and sign lawyer papers. We have the most boring...drag out everything lawyer....but he's cheap! So I put up with the napping session of an appointment.

I signed up for beginner belly dancing classes at the local yoga/ Pilate's studio here in The Park. I hope I get to twirl around with scarves and have finger symbols...but I don't know if that is part of the whole experience or not.

Jacob is finally talking more. Up, Go, Hot, What? and Bubbles...are his latest addition to an already extensive vocabulary of...oh...5 words. Still mostly screaming and pointing. Awesome.

I worked out today. Yay for me. I have a goal to lose 10 lbs. I joined a website called Spark People to help keep track of workouts and eating. Tonight Salmon, brown rice, and asparagus....it's the late night TV snacks that I will struggle with the most!

Love the new Maroon5 song...pre-ordered their album on iTunes.

And last but not least...sewed a pair of kid pj's for a shelter. I feel sorry for the kid who gets them but I am learning!

I love having a babysitter!

So we have never hired a babysitter. We always depended on my Mom and a few friends when needed. Now that we are in a different city with no family and no friends to rely on we were forced to turn over our son to a stranger in junior high school. I was terrified. I was dreading the crying and separation anxiety reaction...not to mention what my toddler would be feeling (ha ha).

I got a good recommendation and found the perfect babysitter. She's in grade nine, showed up at my door with glasses and braces and instantly I knew...she's gonna be great. Her entire persona screamed responsible, gets good grades, total sweetheart package. And she was terrific...and we had a whole Saturday afternoon of fun at West Edmonton Mall.

I called her again 5 days later for this weekend and booked her in advance for next weekend...why did I wait this long for....FREEDOM?

I think it's good for Jacob too. To know that we go away but always come back. And that even when we aren't around that he's okay.

Post cereal needs a new marketing staff

On Saturday my husband and I were driving to West Edmonton Mall for an afternoon of material overload. On the way, Tony pointed out a billboard for Shreddies and I still can't stop laughing when I think about it.

It said, " New, Diamond Shreddies!" and had a picture of a Shreddie with a golden aura around it to exude its brilliance.

We started discussing what that 'think tank' boardroom discussion must have been like...

"We need to get people excited about Shreddies again..."

"Hey I have an idea...let's promote its dual personality by revealing its "other" shape....the diamond!"

The whole room must have ooooed and ahhhhed. People are sure to eat it if they think they are eating diamonds instead of squares!

Seriously, who are they kidding?

Future Dwight

One of my favorite television shows is "The Office" and one of my favorite moments is "Future Dwight."

Future Dwight Clip

Maritime trip with my sister

Last summer my sister Alison and I did a trip around the East coast ending in Cape Breton for my Brother's wedding.
She surprised me and rented a convertible and we toured around listening to my iPod and taking in the sea air and terrifc views. We had a great time.