Just Imagine The Freedom

No, I am not the winner of 6/49 lottery. I am speaking of the freedom from lactation. Imagine: wearing a bra that does not have access flaps and 4 foot wide straps. Being able to leave the house for longer than a 3 hour window. No unexpected let-down reaction when a crying baby is within earshot. Ah..............yes. Ty is finally, completely, weaned.

Now, that being said, it is sort of sad too. Knowing that this is our last baby, so therefore the last nursing experience. I know of lots of mothers that decided to bottle feed for various reasons, or breast-fed for the minimum 3 months and hated every second of it. But I liked nursing. It was relaxing. I was lucky enough to never have any latching problems or other related complications. And besides, nursing left my hands free to hold a book. Now I never seem to get the chance to read. Hmm. In the tub, perhaps?

Speaking of reading, I made a great score off of E-bay recently. Now, I know what you are thinking. Shann!!!! Remember your E-Bay addiction when you were searching for Thomas the Tank Engine toys? Yes, I do. Fondly, for me. Not so much for the payer of the credit card (read:husband). But I'm better this time. I have set monetary limits and never exceed them. Recently I have bought a bunch of Transformers crap for Bun's birthday, but I treated myself the other day when I found an out-of-print book that my friend Kris and I have been searching for for years. (Not that it matters, but the book is High Hunt, by David Eddings). Anyway, my eventual point is this: I got it for a mere 95 cents! Can't beat that deal; even with the exchange and shipping, it was cheaper than buying a book new at the store. So I'm pretty happy. And so is Kris, because she gets it next. And yes, I'm 50 pages in, and it's really good!

Tomorrow is Pancake Day at school. The kids get to eat pancakes in the gym, griddled up by volunteer moms. To add to the fun, they get to wear their jammies to school. I'm a great fan of pyjama day. Saves having to dress the kids in the morning; just have to slip on socks and we're ready to go.

Now the burning question: what to give up for Lent?

No Prize, But A Winner In My Book!

Well, Phoenix didn't win a prize at the dance-a-thon, but he's a big winner in my book. His learning coach called today, singing his praises, and saying that he's coming along great, and that he is a sweet, considerate and creative child. (Not to mention, a snappy dresser!)Yes, today, I think I'll keep him.

Disco Rules!

The top picture is of Keegs gazing in adoration at my friend Darra (aka Keegan's crush). I just thought it was too cute. The next photo is of Phoenix and some classmates doing the Chicken Dance. Next is Phoenix getting down with his best buddies, and the last photo is of Phoenix with his teacher, Miss Williams, who, as I mentioned in a previous post, I have known since she was 5. (She is the younger sister of a girl I used to hang out with as a child). Small world, eh?

Well, as you can see, Keegs and Bun had a great time at the Dance-a-thon. I took loads of pictures and video of the kids dancing. The DJ this year was great at getting the kids to actively participate in certain dances (chicken dance, hokey pokey etc) instead of just running around aimlessly screaming, which I hear was the case last year. Too cute. We weren't around for the prize announcement, so I guess we'll find out tomorrow if Bun won anything. Will update. It's way past my bedtime, so I'm gonna jet. Later taters!

Slacker!

Yep, that's me...Ms. Blog-Slacker...I used to be quite good at updating...maybe I haven't had much to bitch about lately. Yeah, right!

Let's see...boys are doing AWESOME at their swimming lessons. Last week was quite funny. Keegan was trying to blow bubbles and got a mouthful of water and was coughing. The swim coach says to him, "I hope you didn't swallow any fish! Get 'em out of there!" Keegan responded by looking her in the face, and spitting in her eye with a force to rival any chewing-tobacco hound. Mark and I almost died laughing.

We made our first family trip to Value Village on Saturday to try to pick up a 70's outfit for Phoenix for his dance-a-thon (which is tomorrow, I promise to post photos ASAP, honest!). We made quite a little score, actually. Picked up a great little DVD player for only $10, and a nice suede fringed cowboy jacket for the boys to play dress-up with. And of course, a funky maroon shirt for Phoenix to wear. To get into the spirit of the event, I will be dressing up in 70's attire as well, right down to the Farrah Fawcett flippy hairdo. Oh yeah, baby, I rock. (Or disco, as the event requires!)

Started watching a backlog of DVDs I've been hoarding for a rainy day. The series is called Popular. I think if I watched it when I was 16, I would have LOVED it. Now, I think, cheesy, oh yeah. Entertaining, you bet! I love those teen shows. I'm a sucker for them. And speaking of TV, Survivor is shaping up to be a pretty good season so far, don'tcha think?

Finally got my hair done last week, so I can blissfully wear my hair in a centre part for a maximum of three weeks before the white rears its ugly head again! Perfect for my Farrah do.

Oh, Mark got us tickets to go and see David Copperfield. The venue is a bit small to make wonders of the world disappear, but it should be quite fun. We've got fantastic seats! And now that I've finally weaned Ty (hurray!), I can have a guilt-free outing without the fear of let-down staining. Gross, I know, but a common occurance for nursing moms.

Thank you to all who supported Bun in sponsoring him for his dance-a-thon. With your help, he managed to raise $122 for the school. Not bad for a 5 year old. I've told him he has to dance for every dollar. I am bringing both digital and video cameras to the event, so hopefully I'll get some great footage and pix.

Well, time to go and rescue Mark from Ty, who has been sleeping on his chest for the last hour and a half, and is no doubt grossly sweaty. Ew....will post tomorrow with dance photos. TTFN.

PS. Took Ty for his 9 month check-up and he is now 19 pounds. Busy little bug; climbs stairs, pulls up on everything nailed down and is cruising around the furniture. Slow down brother! You move too fast!

Happy Kissy Kissy Day!

Or as my son would say, having been brainwashed by Treehouse TV, "Happy Friendship and Caring Day!"

Phoenix was the big hit in this class this morning because I sent in heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies for him to share with his classmates. He was very excited about today. He wore red and white, and spent all weekend "autographing" his Transformer valentines, and today he gets to deliver them to his classmates' "mailboxes" that they made last week.

Keegan says hi, and says he wants to press the "puttons" on the keyboard. This message is from him:

tttttttrttttttttttttttttttt kkkkeeeeeeeeggggggaaaaaaaa nnnnnnnnnwwwwwwwwww

Got his name somewhere in there! Pawned off the calculator to him so I could finish up here. Well, it's swimming class tonight, so that's my evening of romance accounted for. I'll just tell people that I spent the evening somewhere hot and steamy and let them use their imagination :-)

Gotta run, have fun with your schmooops today.

XXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It's Actually Getting Easier!!!

I never thought he'd come around, but Ty has finally accepted the bottle and will now take 6 oz of formula at once (as opposed to 1/1000000th of an ounce when we first started this campaign). So we are now at 2 formula feeds and 3 breast feeds a day. This week, I'll cut out one more. Sigh...

My little punkin is growing up so fast! Crawling, standing, climbing stairs (!!!!!!) and not even 9 months old yet! I think (curses!) that he will walk early...Phoenix walked just after his first birthday and Keegs was about 15 months (took extra time to lug around his baby fat). Oh the joys! The joys! I hope Ty is as proficient at potty-training as he is at climbing stairs!

Still no relief for my hands...thanks to those who e-mailed me suggestions of Aveeno and Glaxal Base. Nuthin'. But worth a shot, I suppose. Still taking suggestions, so if you have any, please comment.

I want to get on record that I am NOT COMPLAINING, before I make the following notation. (This is to ensure that I do not curse myself). I just wanted to comment on the bizarre weather around here. I have lived in Ontario for most of my life (with the exception of 3 1/2 years in Nova Scotia), and I have never experienced a winter like this. I think I've used the shovel once. Snowblower, same deal. The most I've had to do is sweep my front porch of snow-dust. Again, no complaints here. But weird, when usually we've had at least 5 or 6 huge dumpings by mid-February. Phoenix says that we got ripped-off with winter this year, and from a kid-perspective, I'd have to agree. But to Mother Nature from me, thanks girlfriend! I know you see me lugging three kids on the school run, and have kept it clear for me. You go, girl!

On a totally separate note, to my bud Lea, who recently encountered some pain during her first downhill skiing adventure, don't give up! I waited until my third knee-dislocating fall before I finally gave up skiing (on doctor's orders). So, go go go go go!!!!! Other than the occasional pain, it's a lot of fun!

Anyway, I suppose it's time to go and seek out plans for dinner, and maybe put away the 300 loads of laundry that are piled 5 feet high in my baskets... ttfn.

Leaps AND Bounds

Ty is super kid the last few days. On Friday (Feb 3), he started to crawl for the first time, and today he is pulling himself up on anything stationary (tried climbing up Keegan's legs, but Keegs was having nothing to do with that! "I'm not a tree, baby!" he said, as he ran away...). Oh yeah, he's also started to wave goodbye at people. It is soooooooooooo cute!

Tonight is the FSRT play night, so we're packing up the kiddies in the late afternoon and letting them go hyper on someone else's turf. Hope there's a good turnout and we make some money for the charity.

It is COLD here today (compared to the balmy Jan/Feb weather we've been spoiled by lately). No snow here yet, but I hear we're in for it. Kids are hoping for lots of snow, but if it was up to me, I'd just throw the switch and welcome spring. But seeing as I am neither Cold Miser nor Heat Miser (nor Mother Nature, for that matter), I guess I'm out of luck.

I have an absolutely brutal case of cracked finger syndrome; a mix of eczema and split and bleeding skin. I can't seem to find any relief for it, even with prescription stuff. If anyone has a miracle remedy, please pass it on. I am DESPERATE!!!!!! I can't even put my hair in a ponytail without covering my hands in band-aids first. Please help!!!

Now that you have that nice imagery floating in your brain, I'll sign off for now. Got to check on the chicklets.

Mother Truths

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE."If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION."You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL."If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC." Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC."If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT."Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS."Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM."Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA."You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER."This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY."If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE."I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION."Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY."There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION."Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING."You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE."If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP."Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOR."When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT."If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS."You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS."Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM."When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE."One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

****************************************
My dad forwarded this above list to me, and I just had to share it. Not only did my mom say 99% of these things, but I've said them to my own kids, especially #13!

Don't Leave Home Without It!

I am not talking about my Amex card...

Rule # 1 of parenthood, and one you should never, NEVER forget!!!! Do not leave home without a diaper bag, not matter how short the anticipated trip. I learned this yet again when I took Keegan to the urologist on Tuesday.

The last time we went there, we were in and out in 10 minutes, so, considering that he had just made a trip to the potty, and had a fresh pull-up on, I figured we were safe. Um...no. Our appointment was for 4:30. We did not get in until 5:30!!!! And, Murphy's Law being in constant effect, 10 minutes after we arrived, Keegan gives me a look of distress and says, "Uh-oh Mommy! My bum!" So we ran like hell down the hall to the bathroom. (It gets a bit gross here, my apologies...) So I plunk him on the toilet where he has a massive diarrhea attack. It is then that I realize that we didn't quite make it in time, and his pull-up is quite beyond re-use. And, of course, having not bothered to bring a diaper bag, I am now screwed. So the poor kid had to spend the remaining 45 minutes of his office visit with a wodge of toilet paper padding his butt and crotch, with his mother saying every two seconds, "Do you have to go potty? Tell me if you have to go, tell Mommy!" We survived without further incident, but jeez. And due to the over-run of the appointment, Keegan had to miss his swimming lesson.

I sent Mark's dad down to call Mark and tell him to go without us. About 5:50 pm, I get a call at home from Mark at the pool, telling me that they will be late, because Phoenix swallowed a litre of pool water and barfed it back up into the pool, so they had to drain it, but they said he could stay for the 6:00 pm lesson in the big pool. So I guess it was fun times for both parents that night!

Had a nice visit yesterday with my Dad and my Auntie Joanne. Well, abbreviated visit, actually, since Keegan's pre-school consultant arrived shortly after they did and ate up most of their visiting time. But the kids had fun with them. My poor aunt probably has a complex now, because everytime she would look at Ty, he would burst into the lip-quiver tears. I told her that is baby language for "you should visit more often!"

I mentioned the other day that I would tell you about this program that Phoenix has been accepted into at school. It is called "The Learning Coach Initiative" and is offered until June to SK and grade one students. Basically, it is an intervention programme that supplements a student's reading, writing and counting experiences. It motivates and engages early readers. In this programme, the students participate in fun, individualized language and math activities to complement the classroom programme. This includes chants, rhymes and songs, story retellings, letter names and sounds, reading strategies and counting activities. The role of the learning coach is to supplement the student's reading, writing and counting experiences by working one-on-one directly with students, in and out of the student's own classroom, and they closely monitor the progress of the selected student.

So Phoenix had his first session with his coach on Tuesday. He said it was fun, and that they did a rhyming match game, where she would say a word, and he would have to say one that had the same ending sound, like "cat" and "hat" or "big" and "pig". So he is to have these sessions every day that he is in school, for about 20-30 minutes at a time. He has another assessment in March, so hopefully this programme will have made some improvement by then. I have to say though, that he is making great progress at home. He is constantly spelling out words, and sounding letters out in words he does not know.

Until you have to break down a language for a child, you don't realize how difficult it is. How do you explain to a 5 year old that the word one is pronounced as wun, and not as on-ee? Um, well dear, the English language is full of contradictions like that, so deal with it...Jeez. Poor little kids. It's a wonder that any of us can spell or read at all!

Tomorrow is a PD day, so Bun will be home. (My mother used to say that PD Day stood for Parental Disturbance Day, or in the case of PA Days, Parental Aggravation Day). Hoping to go out for a play date, but it's calling for rain, so we may not go.

My kettle is calling me to enjoy a cup a tea, so, tah tah, darlings!

Good Old Mr. Raditch

I have been happily reliving my childhood TV watching days...yes, I have rediscovered Degrassi Junior High. Is there any better show than that? I don't think so. I mean, when a Canadian show can have parts of episodes banned in the States, you know it's good.

Ah yes, I've missed you, Spike, and the trauma of your teen-pregnancy and your boyfriend who ditched you, did acid, and jumped off of a bridge and now has a lower IQ than your baby daughter. I've missed Lucy with her neglectful parents that drove her to shoplift, and poor Wheels whose parents were killed in a car crash and sent him off to try to live with his birth father who was only 16 years his senior...Caitlin with her bizarre peroxide streak in her hair, and her crusade for every cause going...Stephanie dressing like a hooker and winning the school election (all the way with Stephanie Kaye!)...Joey Jeramiah--love the hats! And the first shot of male butt nudity I had seen on TV...oh, I could go on and on. What an awesome show. Yay Degrassi!

The reason I wrote about it today, actually, is because I saw an episode where the English teacher, Mr. Raditch, was talking about an assignment in critical thinking...which led to flashbacks of a course of the same name that I took in university. The teacher's name was Billy Glassman, and had an unlimited number of shaker-knit sweaters, with matching knitted ties. He wasn't a bad teacher, actually, but all I seem to remember of his class (brutal wardrobe aside) was the fact that I was constantly both distracted and creeped out by the unnatural length of his fingers. It was bizarre. They were at least half again the length of a normal man's hands. (Shudder....) I remember leaning forward to whisper a comment about them in the ear of my friend Vince. He was taking a sip of Minute Maid orange soda at the time, and he burst out laughing and it shot through his nose. It was too funny. We both were asked to leave because we could not regain any semblance of calm after that.

And now that I think about, Vince was very careful to A: not drink in class anymore, and B: to sit far away from me...sorry buddy!

Today is my father-in-law's 70th birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA! We had a dinner party for him here yesterday. He had a nice time I think. He especially enjoyed the cake I made for him, which was a world map with red dots showing all of the places he has travelled to. And there were a lot of them! Jeez, no moss grows on that guy. Happy trails, Papa.

Typical Monday around here. Laundry day, which meant the kids stayed in their pjs all day because all of their pants were in the wash. Dishes. Continued attempts at weaning (which is going NOWHERE! Tips are welcome!). Chatted on the phone with no less that 7 telemarketers, two of which actually spoke English. Spoke to Phoenix's teacher about a new program he's been accepted into (will go into detail tomorrow). More laundry. Yadda yadda yadda. Hope the week picks up. I am seriously dragging today...maybe I need a pedicure to perk me up or something...Hey Auntie Joanne, what are you doing tomorrow?

Call of the child, nope make that children....gotta jet. Adios, amigos!

No Wonder I'm Exhausted!

Things I did this morning before 8:00 am:

Woke up. Went to the bathroom. Brushed hair and teeth. Got dressed. Got Keegan dressed. Dressed and nursed Ty. Made Phoenix's lunch. Packed his school bag. Got out coats etc. for the school run. Gathered glass baby food jars for school art project. Did the dishes. Took out the garbage. Put cover back on barbeque. Threw in a load of laundry. Woke up Phoenix. Made sure he got dressed. Combed kids' hair. Fed kids breakfast and plunked them in front of Lunar Jim. Boiled water for today's attempt at formula. Checked e-mail (includes deleting all e-mails devoted to mortgage approvals and penis enlargement). Whew. No wonder I am wiped out by 9:00 am every day!

Oh, To Be Five!

10 things I admire about children:

1. They still have the same energy level at 8:00 pm that they did at 6:00 am
2. Someone smiling at them makes their whole day, and provides fodder for a 20 minute story
3. They can complain of a stomach-ache, go throw up, and then go on with their day
4. A hug and kiss solves the worst of their problems
5. Sesame Street is considered must-see-tv
6. The ability to quote someone word for word on something they said 2 years ago
7. Belief in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy
8. Constant self-pride
9. How saying hi to another kid makes them an instant best friend
10. Most of all, how they can avoid punishment with a sweet smile, and an "I love you SO MUCH, Mommy!"

Ah, my boys. I love them so, even when they drive me bonkers. Even on the worst of days, one or all three can do something to make me feel happy. A kiss or hug in passing, an "I love you" out of the blue, or a simple giggle. I may bitch a lot here, but believe me, I count my blessings every day.

SNIFF!

PS A very Happy Birthday to my Auntie Cathy!!!

The Little Tooth Beaver

ACK! I'm Wounded! Time For Operation Wean

Okay, I have to say the the worst ordeal any nursing mother can go through is weaning. With my first son, it was hell. Ended up cutting him off cold turkey, as he would just starve himself until the next breastfeeding. Keegs was no problem, really. Ty, well, I probably would have kept nursing him for a few months, but he has this little weapon in his mouth. It's called the razor-tooth. Nothing I do can deter him from biting, and that little tooth is freaking sharp!!! As a result, I have a series of cuts, you know where. OUCH!

So, today started project wean. He cried for 1/2 hour non-stop, drank half an ounce and fell asleep. Sigh. This may be harder than I thought. I am not doing a cold-turkey wean. I plan to nurse for his morning feeding and evening one, and bottle feed throughout the day. Wish me luck!

Onto other matters...Friday night was HBO party night at my aunt's house to celebrate her and my cousin's birthdays. The idea was to dress up as your favourite Sex in the City or Sopranos character. My one cousin went with Miranda, while the rest of us favoured the Sopranos. I went as Tony's sister Janice, complete with the Rolling Stones tattoo on my left boob. Verreee classy, yeah baby.

Food was Italian, of course, and awesome. Good job, Cath. We even had loot bags! (Thanks Dana!)Cosmo glasses filled with red and clear beads, with recipes for Cosmopolitans, bags of linguine pasta, with recipes out of the Sopranos cookbook, and even toy guns that shout "FIRE! FIRE!" complete with bullet blasting sound. My kids swiped these from my obviously-poor hiding place and are now tearing up the joint. Great, now I'm raising little gangsters!

Last week was pretty crappy. I had the flu, and it wiped me out for a few days, thus the lack of posting. Better this week though. Kids have their swimming lessons tomorrow. Hey, and today is the federal election! I'll be glad to see the campaign signs off of everyone's lawns, if nothing else. Our neighbourhood seems to be a 50/50 split between Liberal and PC. I think it may be a close result in our city.

When the boy gets home from work, I intend to hustle over to the school and cast my ballot. Vote, people, VOTE!

Well, my children inform me that it is time for Elmo's World (oh, yeah...um..yippee?) so I'd better dash. TTFN.

Update: 4:35 pm...Ty has a new tooth! Upper left. What a smile...upper and lower left...

What A RIP OFF!!!

Kripes! What is this world coming to? My poor cousin goes out for a nice dinner with her family and comes home to a break-in. They took all of her and her daughter's jewellery, her camera and, of all things, her husband's hockey jerseys. What the hell?

I am lucky enough to say that we have never been victim to a home invasion, however, several of my relatives have, and the residual fear it instills in them breaks my heart. I mean, how can you feel safe in your home, knowing someone has been in there, going through your stuff?

A couple of months ago, this happened to one of my aunts. And a year or two before, to my husband's grandfather. And actually, our van was stolen several years ago as well, on Boxing Day. I guess as long as people have stuff, there are people out there just waiting to rip it off.

Bastards! I'm just glad that no one was hurt and no real damage done.

One the home front, we are very slowly creeping toward health. I emphasize the slowly. I think that things are on an upswing though, because Ty smiled today for the first time in five days. I assume that means he is feeling a little better. Poor guy has barely slept in a week, which means that I haven't either...quick tempers flaring all over our house the last few days.

God Bless my hubby, who went on a whirlwind cleaning frenzy today, and vacuumed and decluttered the place within an inch of its life. Good job, babe. I, and my exhausted soul, thank you from the bottom of my (cough, wheeze) heart.

I Knew I Should Have Pursued Medicine

Well, give me my MD degree and get it over with. After a trip to the clinic, Bun and Keegs are on puffers as am I, and poor little Tyger is on antibiotics and a puffer as he not only has an ear infection, but a chest infection as well. I hope he sleeps tonight! (Knock on wood!)

I have come to the conclusion that one has to be very careful when sending e-mails these days with respect to tone. Well, I do, anyway. Sarcasm or good-natured humour can very easily be miscontrued as anger and overall bitchiness, as evidenced by a little "cyber-war" I had with a buddy of mine today. (Mark laughed when I said this; he asked if it involved cyber weapons of mass destruction...).

I think that I am going to have to do some serious self-editing when writing to certain people. I certainly don't want to hurt anyone's feelings...so to all my e-mail recipients, I apologize for any unintentional verbal wounds. And if I come across that way, let me know!

In my defense, I haven't slept in over 72 hours, and that makes me snippy with myself, let alone others. Oh crap, there goes Ty...so much for a night of rest.

Will They Let Us In Now?

It is day 6 of sick-as-a-dog around here. I KNOW my kids have bronchitis. I KNOW that I have bronchial pneumonia. I don't need a freaking medical degree. But apparently the rule around here is that you must go to the clinic a minimum of 3 times before they officially declare your kids sick enough to medicate. In the meantime, I have not slept in three days, because Ty is coughing his lungs out and to top it off, being sick makes the other two boys so miserable that they fight with each other all day long until I want to run screaming from the house.

And hubby wonders why I'm so bloody pissy at the end of every day? Kripes! It's just one of those days where you wish the MOM-fairy would arrive and say, "Sweetie, go to bed for the next 24 hours. I'll take all the kids for you and even magically nurse your baby so you can recharge your batteries."

Well, fantasies take all shapes and sizes, and that's mine. Hmm. Sad.

By the way, if you look under my name in the dictionary, it says to also see-dream on, you wish, and ain't gonna happen...

Hey! We're Being Good Parents!

Happy Wednesday everyone! No, I'm not this cheery. More like feeling slightly drugged to due severe lack of sleep. Tyger cried from 12:15 am to 4:10am this morning. I think I cried a bit in there too. He is sick with a horrible croupy cough, and has generously spread the virus to his mother. Keegan has it too. We are a miserable bunch around here today, with the exception of Phoenix, who shook off the cold in two days.

Went for the meeting at Phoenix's school with the resource team there. They basically told us that he has made a great improvement since his last assessment, and that everything we are doing for him at home is awesome. So nice to have someone validate your efforts. So, I ordered him some educational toys to help things along and he will be reassessed in March.

Phoenix & Keegan had their first swimming lesson last night (pictures to follow). They were so cute! Keegs was great; so enthusiastic! I thought he would freak out at the prospect of having to go into the water without Mark or I, but he was all for it. I'm glad that this is shaping up to be a favourable experience for them.

I'd like to take a moment to welcome Leanne back to the world of blogging; looking forward to your efforts.

Gotta run; want to actually drink my tea while it still retains an iota of warmth.

Later.

PS. A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my nephew Hunter!!!! XOXOXO

My List

In response to a cyber-request from my fellow blogger, Jenny, here is my list:

4 jobs I have had:

1.video store clerk
2. medical claims adjudicator
3. life insurance claims maint.
4. MOM

4 movies I could watch over and over:

1. The Princess Bride
2. The Shawshank Redemption
3. Legends of the Fall
4. Terms of Endearment

4 places I have lived:

1. Northern Ontario
2. Nova Scotia
3. Southern Ontario
4. still there

4 tv shows I like to watch (even if they are off air):

1. Sex and the City
2. Degrassi
3. Survivor
4. Miami Ink

4 places I have been on vacation:

1. New Zealand/Australia
2. Cozumel
3. Alberta
4. Nova Scotia

4 websites I visit daily:

1. JuJuBee Jenny
2. Weathernetwork.ca
3. streamrescue.com
4. zip.ca

4 favourite foods:

1. anything chocolate
2. fettucine alfredo
3. sour cream and onion rings
4. pork ribs

4 places I'd rather be:

1. sleeping
2. Cozumel
3. Australia's sunshine coast
4. hanging with my Mom

4 albums I could not live without:

1. ABBA Gold
2. Billy Joel's Greatest Hits II
3. Moxy Fruvous
4. my amazingly extensive 80's music collection

And to add to the list:

4 favourite books:

1. Gone With the Wind
2. To Ride the Wind
3. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
4. Clan of the Cave Bear

4 favourite book characters:

1. Julian Marquet
2. Ayla
3. Scarlett O'Hara
4. Jamie Fraser

Feel free to post your own favourites!

Sad Bun aka The Guilt Picture