FROM THE DESK OF SARA

Is it wrong to wish for a divorce?

2009-11-18T12:02:00.002-05:00

Easy folks, I am not talking about my own marriage... I definitely NEVER want to get a divorce, especially not to PC - I love him way too much (feel free to take a moment if your choking on a bit of puke!).

But ... I am in love with a house that was built about 2 years ago, and slowly the owners have been doing some landscaping, painting, adding on a deck, paving the driveway... all the little extras that a house needs. The design of the house from the outside is beautiful, and its on a big lot... and is surrounded by a nice tree line, yet still within town limits, and accessible to everything.

Last night, coming home, I managed to sneak a peek inside the house, as the curtains were open and the house was well lit up. Turns out, the inside looks tastefully decorated, and appears to be just as nice as the outside. This little observation makes me want the house even more now.

However, my thinking is... who (in their right mind) would put up for sale (at a decent price) a perfectly good home, that they have obviously worked hard to get it to their liking? No one... unless of course, the owners were getting a ... DIVORCE!

What an awful thing to wish upon someone - really - I know. You are reading this, thinking - has she no shame, and frankly, I question that about myself all. the. time. I guess this couple (who I don't know or have never seen before), they don't deserve the wish of divorce... perhaps I should change my thinking just a bit - and hope that either of them gets a bigger better job that requires them to move somewhere else, or that they will win the CHEO Dream of Lifetime Lottery and move into it, leaving their house perfectly purchase-able (if that's a word) for PC and I.

I will try to scope out a pic of the place I am talking about on my BB tonight on my way home... and then perhaps if any of my local readers know the house or the owners, you can have a hand in saving their marriage, and moving the couple safely to a new address, with their marriage intact!

Do any of you have your eye on a home or property in your 'hood.... that you are secretly wishing something 'interesting' happens with the owners so that you get the chance to buy it?

*** Edited to add ***

This is the best I could do with a drive by photo. You get the idea!

First Hair Cut!

2009-11-20T15:59:00.003-05:00

Wednesday night, we took E for his first hair cut! It was an up and down experience, one minute he loved it, the next minute he hated it.

I personally, could have waited a while to get his hair cut, but PC had other opinions.

Over the last few months E has developed a cute little curl in hair. It suits him too, but his bangs are getting longer and the sides - a little unruly. I made the mistake of announcing on Tuesday night at the dinner table that E's bangs were pretty long, and went as far as to gather them up in one hand and say, 'Look E, if you were a girl, we could put a cute little barrette in your hair'!

That was the last straw for PC. He gave me the stink eye and said - 'that's exactly it - he's not a girl, hence he's getting his hair cut, tomorrow'.

So maybe the barrette comment was a little much... but I did agree that trimming his little wispy hairs would probably be a good move as his hair will grow thicker and fuller now - or at least that is what I am telling myself.

We are lucky that our neighbour across the street has a small hair salon in her house, and since she cuts PC's hair regularly, PC asked her if she would mind doing E's. Of course, she was delighted - and so Wednesday when I got home from work, we headed over for the official ceremony.

As I said above, he loved it, and hated it. He hated the spraying of the water on his head, and the combing his hair, but he absolutely loved the brush she used to dust off all the lose hair off his neck. Thankfully, E gets a kick out of the hairdresser's husband, and he popped in and out of the room to provide some entertainment and distraction, so that she could finish up quickly.

After it was all done, he was all smiles - and now he looks just a tiny bit older and little more mature too! My baby boy is growing up... and officially has the first hair cut under his belt.

Here are some pics from the big occasion!

It's the thought that counts - right?

2009-11-16T12:15:00.000-05:00

Today.... was a big day - well almost.

Last week I received an email at work letting people know that Canadian Blood Services would be on location at my office this morning. I decided that having never given blood before, this would be a convenient time to do so, as when I was pregnant, I learned that I have rare blood type that would be very useful to blood donation banks. So... last week I called 1 888 TO DONATE, and booked myself in.

The lady I spoke with on the phone got a little excitement in her voice when I told her it would be my first time donating... she ran through a welcome spiel with me, and was happy to take my request for an appointment.

So this AM, having not thought much more about it, I got a reminder call from the mobile blood lab coordinator reminding of my appointment. Having forgot about it, I was happy to get the call, and suited up with my work bb and a bottle of water for the appointment.

I was actually quite impressed with this mobile lab, which is essentially a decked out bus made into a mini hospital, complete with a waiting area, check-in counter, private consultation room, 4 donation station chairs, a snack and refreshment stand, and an entrance and an exit.

I was able to use the waiting area, and the check-in counter, and when I mentioned my blood type, they're faces lit up as apparently its in short supply! However... after doing the necessary paper work, and getting my finger pricked to check my iron - the bus derailed right then and there (not physically - if that's what your thinking!). My iron level came back at 12.4 and guess what level you need to be able to donate? Yep - 12.5 and greater.

Are you KIDDING me?

1 point shy of my first donation.

I should have actually known my iron would be an issue as I had low iron during pregnancy and post-pregnancy it didn't get a whole lot better. I have been put on over the counter iron supplements, but have been a little negligent in taking them regularly, so it really is my own fault. But turns out.. the nurse says even if I had been taking the supplements, they wouldn't really want me as donor anyways. Apparently, they like an all natural candidate, not someone who is hopped up on supplements!

So... basically they talked to me about how to get my iron up to an acceptable level without supplements, and encouraged me to come back in 56 days to try again.

Heading into the appointment I was feeling pretty good about myself... but coming out a little disappointed!

However... I'm thinking it was the though that counts - right?

Monkey Business

2009-11-02T06:19:00.001-05:00

This may be a biased opinion but we had one cute little monkey roaming around our place on Saturday night! Halloween was a success, and our monkey was quite excited to see all of the trick-or-treaters at the door. One group of 7 year-olds, thought this little monkey looked pretty 'gangsta' on his John Deere tractor! We had a good laugh over that.

Our monkey played himself out pretty easily, as he was at a late night birthday party the evening before for his Grandpa C (Happy 60th Dad C), but all in all he enjoyed dressing up and seeing the kiddies! Hopefully next year, we will get out to a few houses and actually collect some treats for this boy!

Not much time to say anything else, so I will let the pictures do the talking.

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween, and that you got lots of good treats!

No time to blog!

2009-10-23T21:17:00.001-04:00

September was a BAD month for blogging - you know that, and I know that. I was just so absorbed with getting ready to go back to work, and planning E's first birthday, not to mention a fun-filled trip to Texas (which I have yet to blog about). I thought that September would be the off month for the blog, but now as we are quickly approaching the end of October ... I am thinking the final quarter of 2009 isn't looking good for the blog either.

I want to have this wonderful witty blog, that I am dedicated to, and that I have no problem keeping up with, even though I am working long hours, doing the daycare thing, making family dinners, doing extra-circular sports, and squeezing in a few episodes of my fave shows - I really really want the label, but these last few weeks have sucked the life out of my blogging ability... and the future is looking bleak too!

I wish I had a PA in the car (that is personal assistant)... you know, someone I could just talk out loud to and they would transcribe my thoughts onto the blog (kinda like Boyder and I use to do with each other for University group papers) . In the morning... I am so full of awesome blog thoughts, I mean really great stuff - stuff that would make you laugh out loud at your computer. I sometimes even talk to myself (between my country music performances), and I write the first paragraph right then, out loud in the car.

I think to myself, I will roll into work, organize my in bin, work efficiently all morning long, and then spend 10 or 15 minutes on my lunch just flushing out my blog topic of the day... and BAM - I'll have a post, while still having plenty of time to eat, pee, grab an afternoon coffee, and finish the day out with a smile.

But... nooooooooooooooooo!!! I never get the in bin organized, and while I might get Blogger open on my desktop at lunch, I never get a line written, let alone an entire post flushed out.

I still have ideas.... good ideas for the blog, and I think that with all of my draft posts that are sitting on my Blogger Dashboard, the day has to eventually come when I will finish them, and post them - and won't that be the best of your life as a faithful bloggy reader? You'll surely be in bloggy heaven, probably have to call in sick a day or two just to catch up on all of the posts that I am gonna post on that one magical day!

Right. As in ya right.

I don't blame you, if you go off to a far away land, and never come back... I have been neglectful of you, and trust me, your not the only thing that's feeling neglect in my life. This whole working Mom thing is quite the adjustment... and going from one day to the next is a challenge in itself... so I am going to try to work more on my planning skills first, before tackling how to blog efficiently and effectively without neglecting my family/working duties.

That was long drawn out way of saying... I'm not firing myself, I just reallocating the blog resources (ME) to another priority area for the short term (can you tell I have been writing government speak all. week. long.). However, from time to time (like tonight), I may get the notion to whip off a post... so if your still interested in the new terms of our agreement, check back at your leisure... but with (extremely) low expectations of there actually being something new here.

Happy Turkey Day

2009-10-12T21:22:00.002-04:00

My little turkey is what I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving. I think back to last Thanksgiving and how we were just getting to know him, in the midst of sleepless nights, and long days, but through it all, there was a bond between us from the beginning, and it has really changed my life for the better! Sappy I know... but so true!

I am also thankful for my friends and family. My parents are celebrating 35 years of marriage today, and I just want to say Happy Anniversary to them... as 35 years is quite an accomplishment, and I am so proud of them.

To my Canadian friends, I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend, and to my American friends, your long weekend is coming soon, so hang in there.

~Happy Thanksgiving~

Don't threaten me with a wooden paddle!

2009-10-13T00:06:00.000-04:00

The whole new cell phone/ipod law really, REALLY erks me. Perhaps its because I frequently listen to my ipod and drive... and on occasional (more times than not) text and drive, and talk on my phone and drive.

This new legislation in Ontario, is being put in place to ban all of that from happening... I feel as though the Ontario government is a big meanie parent, slapping their misbehaved children in the ass with a wooden paddle.

At 16 to 21 or even 25 years of age... perhaps the wooden paddle is necessary. New drivers, whether they be teens or new immigrants, they should be concentrating on one thing and one thing only, learning the rules of the road, etc. But at (almost) 30 years of age, and someone who has been driving for close to 15 years, I think I know when its safe to drive and talk, text and talk, and use my ipod or GPS. Wooden paddle is not necessary ... and frankly the threat of it, makes me want to do it even more - to see how in fact they are going 'to catch' me breaking the law.

I feel this law is a bit silly because you can't text and drive, but you can still eat a peanut butter and honey bagel, drip it on your good work pants, and then frantically serve all over the road looking for a napkin to wipe it up. $500 fine for one, $12 dry-cleaning bill for the other.

You can't change songs on your ipod, but you can search for one of 50 burned CDs on the backseat of your car, throw it in the CD player in the dash, and look for a song that way.

You can't talk and drive, but there is no law against reading a 100 page document while in morning traffic. You can't enter an address on your GPS while driving, but feel free to shuffle through 6 pages of print-out directions from Google Maps, while swerving all over the road.

You can't change songs on your ipod, send a text, or make a phone call, but feel free to drive around with a screaming infant in your backseat, while you intently try to shove a soother in his mouth from the front seat, or grab a bottle out his hand before he dumps it all over himself for the 60th time. Nope... no law against that.

Yes... to me this law is petty, when applied to experienced drivers. While new drivers these days, have been born with a cell-phone and ipods attached to their hip, perhaps they don't know better - but for myself, and someone twice my age ... I think personal judgment is still working fine, and can be applied without the threat of the wooden paddle.

Working Mom of 1

2009-10-11T08:47:00.000-04:00

So I can see that you have been eagerly checking this blog, to see if I survived the first week of being back to work... the first week of getting E to and from daycare, and the first week of what is going to be regular everyday life.

I did survive... but let me tell you, I was so glad to see the weekend, and I only worked 4 days this week because Monday was E's actual birthday and I was off. This next week is Thanksgiving on Monday, so I am off and then its another 4 day work week. I feel pretty lucky to be easing back into the work week with two short work weeks to start.

However... it sounds to me that life is going to get a bit more hectic than a new mom returning to work would actually like. Without going into too much detail, the department I work for is the lead on dealing with the H1N1 flu virus... and in order to provide the necessary communications support without burning out the entire team very quickly, we are going to be moving to rotational shift work in a few weeks... to cover off communication support 7 days a week, 15 hour days. Not exactly what I wanted to hear my first week back... but that's the reality.

Although I want to throw bricks at a wall thinking of how much I would rather be working my neat and tidy 8 to 4 schedule, 5 days a week... I do consider this a learning experience and a major bullet for my resume. I don't know how its going to work quite yet, but I do know that it will throw one hell of a wrench in my family life, not to mention my social life. It has an effect for both PC and I, and not to mention E.

Obviously this schedule won't last forever, hopefully H1N1 calms down, and we go back to our normal working hours ... but for now, this is the reality - and one I have to deal with.

Aside from that bomb... work itself was really good this week. I was busy everyday I was in the office, and I remember that I do have a brain that knows how to do work-related things, and not just make bottles, wash bottles, pick up cheerios, and change diapers. It is kinda rewarding to know that I can do both.

E's first week at daycare was really good. I heart our childcare provider, she is fantastic. E was smiling and happy, just like he's been at home... so to me I know he is well cared for when PC and I are working. I did manage to get the boy supper, and ourselves something to eat every night. I have come to see that meal planning on the weekends is going to make supper time less stressful during the week.

E been going to bed a bit earlier too... so although I am exhausted after putting him to bed, I do have an couple hours to get the house cleaned up, get ready for the next day, and maybe watch a show. I really don't know how people throw in a run, or hit the gym ... maybe I am too much of a newbie, but I have hard time feeling like I can do that right now. Hopefully if I get my rotational schedule mapped out better, I can figure out where to throw in the occasional workout, but for now, its taking a major backseat.

Yes... week 1 is done and over with, and week 2 is just around the corner, but in a way I am excited for it. This working mom of 1 is actually not the bad, but check back for the 'I quit' post in a few weeks, as I have a feeling my my optimistic approach will wear off soon!

E's First Birthday Festivities

2009-10-04T23:37:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we hosted E's first birthday festivities on Saturday. It was fun filled day ... and Little E did so great! He absolutely loves people, so naturally he loved having all of his friends over to celebrate the special occasion.

The day flew by... but there was lots of excitement. We had snacks, and present-opening, and of course cake! By the end of it all, E was a tired little boy... but he loved all of his gifts, and is in toy heaven now as he doesn't know what to play with first!

I can't say too much more about the party, but of course I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking!

E's Grandpa Coleman is a crafty man... sketched and carved this photo of E onto a pumpkin!

Here is the cake... made for E by Artistic Cake Design in Ottawa.

The candle is lit... and the birthday boy is ready to make a wish!

Mommy helps blow out the candle, and its an all Goldfish cracker smile!

Now... for the good stuff. This cake thing is pretty good!

Icing... where have you been all my life?

Present opening... we should do this birthday thing more often.

Take it out of the package - PLEASE!

Look at all my loot... I'm not sure why I got all this stuff, but I LIKE IT!

Me with my two favourite people... Mommy and Daddy!

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Boy!

2009-10-05T23:26:00.000-04:00

What a difference a year can make... last year at this time, I was just meeting my sweet bundle of joy... and wondering how I would cope with being a new Mom. Now E is a year old, and I am wondering how I am going to cope with being a working Mom of a 1 year old boy.

This past year has honestly been one of the best year's of my life. It's amazing how much love you can feel for someone you've only known for a year, but this is certainly the case for me. E is growing up more and more as the days pass, but in the last couple of months, he has clearly shown he is getting more independent.

He no longer likes to be fed... if he had it his way, it would be finger foods all. the. time. He shows he's full or just tired of sitting in his high chair by grabbing a cluster of food and dramatically throwing in on the floor... followed by a devilish grin and a giggle. Its times like this you want to scream at him, but you can't because you are too busy laughing.

E is not walking just yet, but is confidently standing up and walking around the coffee table. He will make a walker out of anything that moves... and he's getting quicker by the minute.

It seems his new passion is hockey... or at least we think so, as he loves to cart his mini hockey stick around the house. Whether he is climbing stairs, getting his bum changed, or eating a snack ... he always has that hockey stick in his hand, which puts a smile on PC's face! He is also learning to love the game of tag... and loves to be chased around the house. He is getting very sneaky too... acting like he is playing quietly and then you look over and he is gone and half way up the stairs. When you catch him, he shrieks and giggles with excitement as we rip him off the stairs and can't wait for you to set him down so he can do it all over again!

E's verbal sounds are becoming more distinct in the last few weeks... he loves to babble but he is starting to make words, beyond Mum-mum and Dad-dad. I think NO might be the first word... which means we could be in for long year of NO-NO-NO!

It's been a while since we have been at the doctor, but I suspect that E weighs around 20 to 22 pounds. I am no longer worried about weight... he eats well, and is developing well in all areas, so that is enough for me. We are seeing the neuphrologist next week to discuss the option regarding his defunct right kidney... and will go from there, but I am confident that everything will work out just fine.

With E turning one.... we had our last month -by-month photo shoot. I think it was a fitting way to end my maternity leave as these monthly photo adventures have been so much fun! Given that my boy was sick and the fact that we had taken so many pics at his birthday party, we scaled back this photo shoot a bit, but did end up with some good pics.

Prior to E's birthday, I was trying to think of a birthday tradition to do with him each year on his special day. I decided our tradition would be to release a balloon into the sky as a way of saying thank you for everything over the past year, and to say hello to everyone up above who is watching over him.

We did this... and E loved it, and now we will do it every year on October 5th... as a part of his birthday celebration.

Without further ado... here are the results of our last monthly photo shoot.

Happy 1st Birthday E... Mommy and Daddy love you very much and have had 'THE BEST' year with you.

XOXO

Guess what?

2009-10-04T22:05:00.005-04:00

A year ago tonight, I was in labour. It would be another eventful 24 hours before E was actually born, but ... it was an exciting night for all involved! Read my labour story here... and stay tuned for 1st birthday party pics.

Now approaching: Back to work!

2009-09-17T10:14:00.005-04:00

Oh...it been one of those weeks, or is it one of those months!

As you may know, this is my last month of maternity leave, and its really bitter sweet. Each day I spend with E this month, I feel so overwhelmed... and in the sense that I have so much I want to do in the next few weeks to prepare myself for going back to work, but also the fact that I know my full-time days with E are numbered (18 to be exact). He is learning so much each day... he is really in the explore and discover stage, and spending time with him and teaching him things is so important to me, but there isn't enough hours in the day to accomplish everything, and by the time bedtime comes at night, I am exhausted.

I was feeling really great about going back to work, I have met my new boss and she seems like a fantastic person, who I am excited to work with and to get to know better. I think I will like getting back into the routine of work, and having the business structure in a day, where I can actually feel like I am contributing to something other than washing bottles, changing diapers, picking up cheerios, will be a good thing.

But... the closer I get to my return to work date, the more I am feeling anxious about how it is all going to work. At present, E is sleeping in until 8:30 or 9am (I know ... no sympathy there!), and with the back to work schedule, he will have to be dropped off at daycare by 7am. Not to mention have his breakfast, get changed, in addition to myself getting up, getting ready, and out the door. I think I know myself, and I suck with mornings in general, so you can imagine just how excited I am to roll out of bed at 5:30am everyday to make this all work.

It's change, and I know no matter how much anyone says they like change (I am one of those people), I think I will actually hate it, until we do it for a few weeks, and I realize, it can be done.

The actual upside of all of this, is that the daycare provider we have found for E is someone I feel really comfortable with, and sending him to daycare is not at all what bothers me, its just getting him there and getting him picked up on time, plus having dinner and getting ready for the next day to do it all over again.

I think it doesn't help that this week E is sick, and I have accomplished close to nothing on my to-do list, because I have been busy wiping his nose, rocking him to sleep, reading stories, and just cuddling him. It tugs at my heart strings, and its times like this that makes me ask the age old question, which is better... the working Mom or the stay at home Mom?

I don't want an answer to this question, because my reality right now is that I will be the working Mom. But, I have LOVED this last year, and if money was not an object, I think I would choose to stay home another few years with E, as it really is a privilege to see him develop from a baby to a toddler, and then to a pre-schooler. However, having said that, I do think there is something to be said about doing something outside of being a Mom, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a job, but a hobby or an interest that gives you that extra 'me' time, that everyone, mother or not, should really have!

Yes... the days are flying by, and on top of wrapping my mind around going back to work, I am grappling with the reality that E is turning 1. I think my life is going to fly by, if the years continue to go by as fast as this one has. Those country songs that talk about when your kids were young and then you wake up one day and they are 25 and getting married - I feel like that is exactly what is going to happen to me!

Can you see how my mind is working these days... all over the map, so many thoughts to keep me busy from morning til night.

Did anyone else have similar feelings or anxieties about going back to work after being off on a maternity leave? How did you cope?

Top 5 Tuesday: Useful Gear for Babies!

2009-09-15T10:58:00.002-04:00

I have decided to start a little tradition here... to*try* and do a Top 5 list every week. I am not exactly sure where this going to go... but I am struggling lately to keep the blog up and running and often I don't have the time in a day to flush out a great post, so I thought an idea like this might take the pressure off of me, if I already know what I am going to write about every Monday!

This week... I'd like to share with you my Top 5 great baby items. I know I stumbled upon a list similar to this when I was pregnant and thought that recommendations from other Moms went a long way when I was shopping ... so here a gift from me to you, new Moms or Mommy-to-be's!

This top 5 list consists of things I used with my baby boy, and things I consider useful accessories or items to help make your day to day activities with your baby easier and fun!

1. Moby Wrap... I blogged about this at the end of last year but I still stand by my recommendation. I borrowed a Moby wrap from a cousin of PC (shout out to Sarah) just after E was born, and my life changed for the better. I got my sanity back when I was able to get a few things done around the house while E was comfortably sleeping on me in the Moby. I used it daily for the first four months, and recently I have used it with E to carry him around my hip the days he needs a little extra Mommy attention. The Moby looks a little overwhelming as it is such a long piece of material, but it is SUPER easy to use and it goes in the washing machine for a quick clean.

2. J.J Cole Travel Blanket... this is a must-have for me. I was given this item as a gift and I thought it was just a blanket, but I quickly discovered that its HUGE, yet it folds up to nothing, with a shoulder strap and is really light weight. It is easy to take ANYWHERE, and can be wiped clean with a baby wipe. Sand and dirt does not stick to it like a heavy wool blanket... and the best part is, it looks super fashionable when you open it up at the park. It's reasonably priced, and I know I will use it for many outings with E in the future too.

3. Travel Booster/Highchair Seat... this is another must have for me. When going out to eat with a little one, it is always a concern how clean the restaurant high-chairs really are... or if the restaurant even has suitable seating for an infant. We have the Fisher Price one... and it comes in handy when eating out at restaurants or at relatives or friends houses. I would even go as far to say that if you don't want to spend the money on a full service high-chair, you could easily get away with using the travel booster seat at home for your main infant feeding chair... and the best part is, you don't have the annoyances of storing or dust around a big high chair - and it comes with all of the dishwasher safe washable trays.

4. Gagou Tagou Hooded Towels... I received a few different versions of the hooded towel when I was expecting, but I have to say that the Gagou Tagou one is by far the best I have used with E. The towel actually absorbs the water and drys the baby off, and is much thicker than the cheaper versions. You can't beat the cuteness factor either... and these towels are big enough that they can be used with the baby for a few years!

5. Fisher Price Little Super Star Stage... E received this a gift for Easter from this grandparents, and it has been a staple piece of entertainment in his day. This toy really taught him how to sit up unsupported, and now it helps him master standing. The music is cute, and not annoying like some toys. Since April we have not replaced the batteries once, and we leave it all the time. E LOVES to dance to the songs, wiggle his little head... and I know in the years to come, he will be using the fake microphone to practice up for Canadian Idol!

There you have it! My first installment of Top 5 Tuesdays! I hope you enjoyed it! Now... the only challenge is what should Top 5 list should I do for next week? Any suggestions?

10 years ... for 130-O!

2009-09-09T10:24:00.010-04:00

This week I have been doing a bit of reminiscing ... as it has been 10 years since I started University, and 10 years since I met some of my best friends.

My University crew, who I refer to as 130-O, are some pretty terrific friends. We have shared so many funny and memorable moments, I don't know where to start... I am so thankful for this group of girls. The thing about these ladies is that no matter where we go, or what we do, we always can reunite every so often and share stories from our Ottawa U years all over again.

I really believe that University was some of the best years of my life. I feel old saying that... I think every phase of your life has good things about it, but University was one of the most care-free, life-changing periods of my life. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was the chapter in my life where I had a lot of fun, learned a lot about myself, yet was careless about some things while learning responsibility about others.

Yes, I got an education out of the deal, but I wouldn't say it was the book education that I learned the most from, it was the social aspect that taught me more than any book ever could. I learned that good friends are for life, and these are the friends that will be standing over my casket in 80 years saying, 'damn, she's still got it', with a chuckle!

I thought, on our 10 year anniversary it would only appropriate to share how we all met... so below you have the story how 130-O came to be (from my perspective).

When I think back to starting University... I think of my, now, good friend Erin (aka Boyder). At the time, she and I did not know each other, but we were both enrolled in the Communications program at Ottawa U. She had taken French in high school, I had not. We sat next to each other the first day of orientation, and when the prof started speaking French, I sat there for 3 minutes pretending I was understanding, and then looked at her and said 'Do you speak French?'... to which she nodded yes, with a sympathetic smile. She helped me out that day, translating to me what I missed out on, and from the point forward our first day interaction was the beginning of a beautiful friendship... and so much more.

Boyder, roomed with a girl named Erica (aka Clapper) who both lived in the same residence as me. Clapper was enrolled in the Business Administration program and in that program Clapper met Krista (aka KL). KL was roommates with a girl named Amber (aka Bee), and Bee and Clapper actually went to high school together for a few years, back in Whitby - so they already knew one another.

Through these mini connections, we started all hanging out together in a group, going to eat at the cafeteria, walking to classes together, and by Christmas time, we were each others allies in Thompson residence. When the 3 am fire alarm was pulled, we would call each other and wait for one another in the stairwells so we didn't have to be stuck out in the cold alone... instead we would hang out, laugh, make fun of each other, and get to know one another even better.

Shortly after Christmas of that year, we decided we wanted to cohabitate off-campus the following year. So we set out searching for a house close to campus, and we stumbled upon a run-down 3 story house with 6 bedrooms and one (yes I said ONE) bathroom - in a prime location. It had major potential, but when we showed our parents... their faces pretty much screamed 'I am not leaving my daughter in that death trap'. It took some convincing, and a game plan, but of course we all stuck together, everyone pitched in, and by the following September, we were happily moving into 130 Osgoode Street... which would be home to us for the next 3 years. Having that address, we became known as the girls of 130-O.

We did have 6th roommate that first year, who we don't speak to anymore... she moved out after our first year together in 130-O and in moved our 6th and final member of the house... April (aka Baby). Baby was a year younger than us, but fit in well... and in no time was up to speed with the 130-O lifestyle! She completed our group... and together as a group of 6 we made some great memories.

We still talk about the random streaker who showed up at our front window one rainy night, whipped open his trench coat and was naked - he stood there laughing and staring until we shut the blinds. There was also Pita Pit delivery guy who rolled up on his bike with our order. The crazy creepo men who lived next door and shouted things like 'I want to gauge your eyes out with a spoon'... and let's not forget the thief who PC caught red handed in our living room, stealing our booze and my Palm Pilot! We had our drunken pub crawls, street parties on Spark's Street, birthday theme parties, our famous trip to Dominican, movies nights, flash light dance parties, our crook of a landlord Ivan, burning the three-wick candle, our crazy 130-O keg parties, Sunday dinners, the good luck song, and many late night conversations in each other's rooms talking about random events, relationship issues, and school stress.

Yes... 10 years has come and gone, but in that decade, so much has happened in my life, and these ladies (Boyder, Clapper, KL, Bee, and Baby) have been there to share in all of the highs and lows. My girls have become sisters to me, they are my family and my best friends.

10 years is a long time, but in the grand scheme of life, I think our friendship is only the start of beautiful things to come.

Happy 10th Anniversary 13o-O Ladies!

11 Months... and a Busy Boy!

2009-09-05T08:15:00.007-04:00

E is 11 months old today.... 11 plus 1 would mean a whole year... so I ask myself (with a tear): where has the time gone? My baby boy has changed ever so much in this last month... he is adventurous, and on the go, and if you turn your back for one second, he will ensure you regret it!

At 11 months, he has mastered the crawl... the stealth mode army crawl and now he is slowly seeing that getting up and crawling on his knees is also a pretty decent mode of transportation these days. Standing is a common occurrence for E... anything he thinks is remotely stable, he will pull himself up, and the adventure for him is to see how he is going to get back to down on him bum. It's cute and nerve racking all in the same boat.

In the eating department, E is still doing extremely well... he is slowly transitioning to eating table food, and loves to feed himself! Favourite foods right now include bananas, cheerios, Goldfish crackers, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. He is still on the low side of the holy graph... he was 19 lbs and 28 inches long at recent check-up, and he is very healthy.

E's discovery of the tooth brush and brushing his teeth is one of his favorite past-times... I hope this is one that he still enjoys in 5, 10 and 15 years! Give him a tooth brush and he will stay quiet and still for as long as you want. We are also discovering that his soother is probably not necessary... he likes to throw it and chase it, and drop it and pick it up, so the soother *may* have be on its way out in the next month! E also played his first game of mini sticks with Daddy and Grandpa C, and seems to love it, much to PC's delight! Other favorite activities include going for a bike ride, standing up in his crib, swinging, and stroller rides... as there is just so much to see and discover!

Yes... this boy is growing, and changing, but is still a happy baby, and makes me so thankful that I made the decision to have a child!

As always... here is the results of the 11 month photo shoot... I worked up a sweat getting these photos, E is so busy that he rarely wants to stay still to pose for a decent photo! However, I did get a few good ones with the help of PC, and the others - well, they are what they are! I especially enjoy the last photo, where E is giving me 'the look' as if to say 'Mom - enough'!

Happy 11 month b-day E... LoVe YoU!

A change in tone!

2009-08-25T23:04:00.003-04:00

Do those of you remember back when your child was just a few minutes old, and the things you use to say him/her from that point forward? You know... things like 'your so precious, your beautiful, your just perfect'. You would say the nicest things to your baby in the 'I love you so much, your the most precious thing on earth to me' tone.

I faithfully used that tone for 9 months... but somewhere between 9 and 10 months, I developed this 'I love you so much, your the most precious thing on earth to me, BUT if you do that one more time, I am going to lose my mind' tone.

I find myself losing the infancy tone... the tone that says 'you couldn't do a single thing wrong, because your just so cute and lovable'... the tone that is so reassuring, so wonderful to use, so exciting to hear.

Yes... that tone has packed it's bags, loaded up the car, and taken off for a long long vacation. That tone has paid last month's rent, returned to keys... just in time for me to rent out the place to the 'if you do that one more time, the neighbours are gonna call the cops on me' tone.

I am not sure when this happens... there was no warning, but I almost wish that I had been warned, as I would have savored the final mutterings of the loving tones if I had known they would die an abrupt death!

E isn't by any means bad... but he's busy. He's more curious, he's more adventurous, and he knows how get a rise out of me. The last couple of days, I have been trying to bring back the infancy tone, but I am learning that if I don't use the 'drop it or else' tone he just laughs and does it again as if its okay. There is such a fine line for teaching discipline, without in fact, having the neighbours call the police on you!

You've been there... right? Tell me you've been there!

Return to Sender

2009-08-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

Today, I picked up the mail, and noticed two pieces of mail in our box addressed to the previous owners.

This drives. me. nuts.

Why?

Because we moved in our house four and half years ago.

In the first six months that we lived at this address I was vigilant about writing RETURN TO SENDER on the envelopes and putting them back in the mail. I actually hoped the tenants at our previous address were doing the same (shout out to the Sellers). But, after four and half years, if you haven't changed your address, I don't think you are entitled to the mail.

And what's more annoying is that the companies who are still sending out the mail haven't realized that they have been sending their mail outs to the wrong address for four freakin years.

Specifically Scotiabank, Sunlife Insurance, and Royal Bank are still mailing what looks like account statements to this address. I think to myself, how good is your customer relations if you don't know the proper address of your clients for four years.

I really have to laugh at Sunlife.... because every year at Christmas, the insurance agent goes to the trouble to send the previous owners a Christmas card, and a calendar, and a magnet... but all they do is end up our recycle bin.

I guess in the world of online business, snail mail is really not necessary, so the previous owners probably aren't missing out on much as I imagine they are keeping up with their finances and insurance on the web. But... this doesn't help my problem with the amount of mail we receive that is not for us.

I think its bad here, and we are only the second owners of this house - I am sure apartment people have it 10 times as bad if they are the 5 or 15th people in the place. Isn't it just annoying on all accounts?

See where all your bitching gets you!

2009-08-21T10:35:00.005-04:00

I was originally going to call this post 'THANK YOU', but PC's sarcastic comment when these arrived via delivery service yesterday was just too funny.

Apparently someone read my post 'The one about the vase!', and was feeling mighty sorry for me as I received a bouquet of fresh flowers, delivered yesterday, with a card attached that said:

'Sara... because PC never will'

PC was the one who received the delivery, and when he read the card... he took one look at me and said 'Who'd you bitch to? See where all your bitching gets you'! That to me was priceless - and the appropriate title for the post!

The flowers are beautiful and look lovely on my coffee table, but the funny part was... my biggie *crystal* vase is still in use at the neighbours, so I had to put the bouquet into my smaller, non-crystal vase - but they still look lovely, don't they?

I don't know who my secret sender is ... but whoever you are, just know that I do very much appreciate the flowers... it was a lovely gesture, and every time I look at the bouquet I just smile!

I think my next post will be about how PC never buys me anything from Tiffany & Co. ... I have a lovely jewelery box with no jewelery in it!

No pressure, secret sender!

We went out last night... !

2009-08-20T11:41:00.013-04:00

PC and I, and my BFF Clapper 'went out last night - like we swore we wouldn't do! Drank to much beer last night... a lot more than we wanted to' ... all in the name of Kenny Chesney!

What a great concert... there is something to be said about country concert-going fans, they get a little crazy in a good way!

We had such a great time and KC did not disappoint! He still isn't any better looking in person, but he sure knows how to entertain a crowd. High energy for two and half hours straight. Good times!

We hadn't planned on going to this concert, but we snagged floor seats on Monday morning, and I think that made the show. KC came out on a moving camera/chair and was right over top of us at one point. I actually spilt beer in my eye trying to get the shot (LOL!). He was worth every penny, and his opening acts Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert made for a jam-packed concert package.

There isn't much more to say above and beyond 'FUN FUN FUN'. We did snap some pics so ... I will let those illustrate my thoughts better than my words would! I will say, if you enjoy country music and haven't had a chance to see Kenny in concert - GO! He wasn't named entertainer of the year, 4 years in a row, for nothing!

I love hoodies

2009-08-19T09:10:00.002-04:00

I have a tendency to be a bit over the top when I find something I like. If you've known me a while, you may recall the phase where I LOVED (past tense) everything Winnie the Pooh. I had to have EVERYTHING Pooh... and soon everyone caught on this and ensured that I had everything and anything POOH. Now I hate it with a passion (well not hate, but definitely I am sooooo over Pooh Bear, like 10 years over him!), and I think its because I just got Pooh'd-out in such a short time frame.

Then it was flip-flops... and trust me, the flip-flop thing is still going on, although I don't totally freak out when I see something in the flip-flop theme - I causally assess it, and ask myself, will I still like it/use it in 5 years. If the answer is yes... then I buy it, if the answer is no... then I walk around with it my cart for 30 minutes, and ditch on the last shelf before the cash!

But...now 'my thing' is hoodies.

Can a girl... a.k.a. me, possibly have one too many hoodies - I think not.

A hoodie... is the ultimate comfort clothing item for me. I believe that you aren't completely 'vegging out' until you are chillin in your favourite hoodie!

Since being on maternity leave I have accumulated quite a few hoodies (in addition to the dozen I already owned before getting preggers!)... I remember the week before E was born, I was in ROOTS and saw this red hoodie that was on sale, and I had to buy it, even though my belly wouldn't fit into it at the time - it just looked so comfy and it was the one piece of clothing I looked forward to wearing after giving birth.

Then came a new Lulu hoodie, which I purchased with a birthday gift card (from PC). After that, PC brought me home an Under Armour hoodie as a his 'Thank you for letting me spend a weekend away with friends while you were here with E alone' gift. I liked the hoodie so much that I purchased the same UA hoodie in Florida - only in a different colour.

I also love the simple GAP hoodies so much that I own three of them. While away this past month, I almost purchased another one, but knew PC would freak out if I did, as he had told me close to a dozen times 'if you get another hoodie, I'm buying a golf club and a watch'! You see... golf clubs and watches are his things... (along with belts, and shoes, and ties... but that's a whole other post), and each of us thinks that other shouldn't get any more of their thing - but little does he know, I put it on my Christmas wish list... so he won't be able to say a thing when it turns up under the Christmas tree as a GIFT!

I don't know what it is that draws me to hoodies... I think I have been on maternity leave too long, wearing too many comfy clothes... because while some people invest in accessories and expensive clothes for work, I like to save up for a good hoodie!

What is your fashion thing... doubtful that its hoodies, but if it is, know how cool I think you are!

Don't touch, stop, NO!

2009-08-18T11:09:00.002-04:00

If I had a dollar for every time I said 'Don't touch', 'Stop', 'No'... I could afford to stay home long after E starts high school.

Honestly... I sound like a broken record, and I know its only going to get worse, as we have just started into this phase (which some parents will say lasts 18 years)!

E is fairly good at listening right now (I will probably groan when I read this in 6 months). You raise your voice the tiniest octave and he looks at you funny... thinks about what he is doing, and either tries it again while still looking at you or moves on without thinking twice about what he was just doing.

When we returned home from vacation, I couldn't help but notice how much he has changed in the last month. Before we left he was crawling but you could keep him confined to the living room. Now he is all over the house, touching everything he can get his hands on, and pulling himself up on every unstable piece of furniture we own. Long gone are the days where I could whip up a blog post while he was playing happily on the mat. Sometimes I think he sees me open my laptop and that cues him to 'go wild', make noise, do something he knows he shouldn't (I actually love this, because it cements the fact that my blood is running through his veins)!

You gotta love the parenting magazines that advise on 'letting them explore their new world of freedom'. The ones that tell you to refrain from saying 'No', 'Stop' and 'Don't' ... but honestly, there is a small vocabulary of synonyms for these words - (and I can just see E in kindergarten telling his friends 'never'', 'halt', 'thou-shall-not') - and let's face it, they all mean the same thing at the end of the day.

I made a tweet about this exact topic, and I did get a few responses... most notably from a reader (should out to Baby Mama Kristy Boyd) who said that she uses 'Away please' and 'No thank-you'... which is more polite and something I wouldn't mind hearing E tell others when he does start talking. I need to train to myself to not immediately react with the standard words... but I usually blurt out Emery No. Emery Stop. Don't touch Emery, and then try to revise my statement to 'Emery, please stop touching that, how bout we play with x instead' - of course my good mothering statements always come second!

I am sure I am not the first nor the last new mom to deal with this... does anyone out there have any good advice for running interference when your baby is doing things you don't want them to be doing?

The one about the vase!

2009-08-17T21:47:00.003-04:00

Isn't just wonderful when your husband buys you flowers and surprises you with them? I love love LOVE getting fresh flowers, but I can actually count on one hand the number of times PC has done this for me... he reserves flowers for MAJOR f%&$ ups I guess - and apparently, according to PC's flower buying record, he hasn't done anything wrong in quite sometime!

The other morning, we had a knock at our door, and it was one of our neighbours. He was wanting to know if he could borrow a vase. I like this neighbour, and I had no problem lending him one. Apparently he had bought his wife a beautiful bouquet of flowers for their anniversary and didn't have anything to put them in.

I opened our 'useless' cupboard and grabbed an IKEA vase that I have had for a long time. He looked at it and said 'this will work... but, do you have anything bigger?'

I knew that I did have a bigger vase, I remember getting it as a wedding gift... so I said to him 'I know I do, but give me 10 minutes as I will have to look for it'.

I smirked at PC and said to our neighbour... 'you can tell how often I get flowers around here!'

So... off I went looking for the big vase. I headed downstairs to the basement and after checking a couple of hiding spaces, I did find it on the top shelf of the closet, in its original box.

It turns out the vase we were given as a wedding gift was crystal... and I thought to myself 'wow, this is nice', but didn't think twice about not lending it to our neighbour.

I brought it upstairs and set it at the door, and along came PC. He opened up the box and said 'This is crystal? Wow. Your going to lend them the crystal?' in a shocking tone.

Quick to reply, I said 'it's not like it's getting any use around here! What is the worst that can happen, they break it, and I have a broken crystal vase and still no flowers to put in it - oh no!'

There was an eye roll on PC's part, but that was the end of the conversation, as clearly he nothing fire back with!

1 - 0 SC.

I quite enjoyed this conversation... although I think PC would have preferred our neighbour knocked on a different door that morning!

Back from va-cay!

2009-08-16T12:47:00.003-04:00

I'm back.

Back from vacation (yes even those on maternity leave take vacation contrary to the belief that maternity leave is a year of vacation!)... and back to reality.

I have been trying to figure out what to bl0g about... the first post back should be a good one, but every time I think about blogging, I just feel like I have nothing to say.

Yes... we had a good couple of weeks on the road. We did a lot and yet we did nothing too, which was why it was so good. I think we were glad to get home after being gone a few days shy of a month... I have pictures out the ying-yang of E and all of things he did... but I am not inspired to write about those things right now - maybe because I feel like I have to cover three weeks of our busy lives into a single blog post (I will get to posting the pics, but not today!).

There are a gi-zillion things on my mind right now... most notably returning to work, the transition to daycare for E, my work wardrobe (!!!), my eating habits, how PC and I will adjust to me returning to work full-time, the cost of daycare, our extra-circular activities, the state of my house... this list goes on, and on, and on.

To update on a few things:

Daycare: we found a wonderful lady who is going to watch E, she lives not to far from us, and just seems like a great person. She only watches one other little boy, so E will have a playmate, but yet will still be well-cared for which puts my mind at ease.

The cost of daycare is such an opener... isn't it? I know that I do want to work, and that working vs. staying at home is much more profitable for our family, but nonetheless to think what we could do with the money we will be spending on daycare is such a scary thought - and more reason not to have another baby in the short term!

Returning to work... a scary thought, but its going to happen. Here's the kicker... my return to work date is October 5th... a Monday which is nice, but E's FIRST birthday. I was like: are you kidding me? I feel very lucky to have been able to be off his entire first year, but that's a little harsh isn't it - sending me back on my first child's first birthday. I am going to see if I can work out a deal with my boss to maybe go in a day the week before and get set up and then be off with E on his special day - I will keep you posted.

Speaking of going back to work... I feel like I will be starting a new job with my return. I think I can count on one hand the number of people that are still there from last fall. A lot and I mean A LOT of people have since taken other jobs in different departments. I know when I show up 90% of the staff will be like 'whose the new girl?', and I am sure that will piss me off cause I won't be in the loop, I will have to earn my way into the loop! The bright side is... its a new job that I *should* know how to do, so hopefully it won't be that bad - and I am looking forward to feeling like an expert on something other than E's daily schedule!

I am slowly learning that 'keeping house' with a baby on the move is virtually impossible. How can someone so small make such a mess! On top of that, since the majority of the time I spend picking up after E, I don't have the energy to file the mail, put my own stuff away, or organize my way out of a wet paper bag. I seriously need to get a handle on this, or else I will never allow any visitors in my house again!

My work wardrobe is such a task. I haven't wore dress clothes in over a year. I think I may have put on a pair of dress pants for Christmas Eve mass, but aside from that - nothing. I hate trying on clothes from a year ago while having to cross my fingers that I can still get the button done up on the waist. I did this last night, and surprisingly there were only two pairs of my 'skinny' pants that just don't fit - unless of course I don't plan on sitting down the entire time I am wearing them. PC and I did some shopping in the states while we were away and I purchased a couple of things for work ... but beyond that I am left wondering if I am going to look like a 'Mom' when I return to the office, instead of the young, hip, cool team member I was before I went on mat. leave (*laughs*) - this one is to be continued, I guess!

Alright, E is napping, while I am posting this (which is why I don't get anything done around the house)... so I had better get something to eat before he wakes up or else those skinny pants will be fitting in no time.

Hoping to get back on regular blogging now (no promises though), so check back again this week and maybe I will have some pics up from our vacation!

Cheers, and thanks for coming back.

10 Months and Personality!

2009-08-06T23:37:00.011-04:00

In the midst of summer vacation, my sweet baby boy surpassed the 10 month mark. E is now into double digits... and closing in on a year at lightning speed.

This past month we have hardly been at home... we are currently on the road in Michigan - and I am bringing you the 10 month update as best I can, in the short amount of time I have on free wi-fi!

At 10 months, E is changing daily. It really is crazy to see everything he is learning as each day passes. He has gone from the smiley happy baby, to a boy who is now learning he can express himself in ways other than just with a grin. Don't get me wrong, he is still fairly easy to please and happy most of the time - but we are now seeing a few signs of upset squeals when he doesn't get his way. His personality is emerging more than ever before, and it is interesting to see what things he likes and dislikes.

He is picking up speed on the crawling front. The best past time for him is rolling around Daddy's golf balls on the floors and then taking off on an adventure to get them. Just this past week in Grandma and Grandpa B's trailer E started to pull himself up certain things... it won't be long before he is standing unassisted.

Eating just keeps getting better and better for E. He has started on some crackers and finger foods... and loves to feed himself. We are slowly getting to 'real food' ... I am going to start him on yogurt, cheese, and toast in the next few weeks... so that should be fun.

E is still loving the swing... he could do it for hours on end if you would let him. He played in the sand for the first time two weeks ago, while we were at the cottage, and successfully ate his first mouth of sand. It wasn't long before he realized that is was disgusting stuff, but of course every boy has got to try it!

He also had his first ride in a boat at the cottage, got to go fishing with Daddy and Grandpa C for the first time... he loved it! I have pictures to document all of these firsts... but I will have to save them for another time.

For now... I have the results of the 10 month photo shoot. We weren't in the comfort of our own home for this one, but we made do. I especially like the first shot where you can see how much E has changed since his birth announcement. As well you will notice the many personalities of E that are emerging in these photos! He's too much when you bring out the camera!

Happy 10 months E... Mommy and Daddy love you!

I'm Alive... but on the go!

2009-07-13T23:47:00.005-04:00

No... I did not fall off the face of the earth, but I just haven't had the time to blog lately and I have been feeling bad about.

Last Wednesday I drove back to my hometown with E (just he and I for 9+hours in the car) to visit my family. It was a long day getting here, but well worth the trip.

We are still in Thessalon, but leaving tomorrow morning to head for home. When I get home, I will have a funeral at attend on PC's side of the family, and then it will be packing for the cottage, and heading out to Parry Sound for 2 weeks of relaxation.

I have no idea if there is any wireless internet connection that I can hook into from the cottage, so I have a feeling that blog updating will be few and far between for the next little while. So, please don't think I have just bailed on you! While I am 'on vacation' I hope to return with a few stories to share... and no doubt some photos of our family time away. A little vacation for me sometimes does the blog good, as I have come back with fresh ideas for blogging.

Some of you may also be taking holidays are spending long weekends with your family and friends. I hope you enjoy your time whatever it is that you are doing, and hopefully I can resume regular blogging sometime in August.

Have a GREAT summer... (and hopefully it won't be too long before I can get an update in)!