farewell 2011

As I look back at 2011 the word that comes to mind is pretty clear.
Mom.
Or more accurately "momma."
My life has pretty much become all about Lulu. At least for the most part.
And although I never thought it would happen to me, I'm completely okay with that.
Being a SAH mom is really such a blessing.
Geez, it only took me 6 years to completely embrace this...
Ironic, considering that I'm going to try to work more this year now that Lulu is in school full time.
Better late than never I suppose.

I love that I've been able to go on all Lulu's school trips and volunteer in her class and to always be so available for her.
Especially during these early "foundation" years.
I wouldn't trade any of that for the coolest photo job opportunity.

I also enjoy having her little friends over for lunch and play dates now that they are a bit older.
5 & 6 year olds are so sweet and much easier to handle.
Especially when they give me rave reviews on my cooking.
Lulu loves to tell all her friends what a good cook her momma is and every day they all come up and hug me asking when they can come to our place.
Is there anything better than that?

I completely love walking her to & from school each day.
I'm tryng to savour these moments as much as I can, as I know they are fleeting.
Especially when I see a group of kids maybe 6 or 7 years older than she is now, that wouldn't be caught dead walking with their mom to school.
Don't even think about holding hands!
Puhlease.

I've never missed a baseball game, a dance lesson or piano lesson.
I have been able to take her to camps and other fun activities around town.
So glad I can watch Lulu experience new places and meet new friends and help to nurture that.


Speaking of new places.
We took some pretty fun trips this years as well.
Nothing too exotic, and always visiting with family, but that in itself was also a great experience.
Especially for Lulu.
L.A. in the spring
Connecticut and New York in the summer.
Some weekends spent up north and down in Niagara.
I'm thinking 2012 might involve some new and exciting destinations with just the three of us.
Stay tuned for that.


As much as parenting has been at the top of my personal list this year, big daddy & I managed to get out a bit more for some one on one time.
It's great to finally have a roster of good babysitters.
We still need to do some work in the marriage department (then again tell me one couple who doesn't after being together for 14 years!)
But I'm in it for the long haul, so I'll keep on booking those sitters and calling in Grandma & Grandpa more often.
Speaking of which, our families are all healthy (big sigh of relief..) and for once, this year wasn't filled with too much drama.
Love that.

Went to a bunch of great restaurants. All casual, which is much more the kind of meal I like to have these days anyways.
I'm so over rich reductions, foam and pretentious wanna-be-actor-waiters not to mention ridiculous wine prices.
But truth be told, I find I enjoy eating at home more and more, and I would much rather have friends over than eat out too often.
That being said it is nice to get a break from time to time.


I managed to stay relatively healthy and am feeling more fit than I did 10 years ago.
Worked out quite a bit and finally seeing some results.
But this is another area I want to change, I recently read that if you get stressed trying to fit in things that are supposed to help you de-stress, then it's time for a change.
Some of my favourite classes at the gym are really not conducive to my schedule, especially since I will be working a bit more in 2012.
And throw in some chronic pain to areas that I think I am over working, I'd say it's time for a work-out change.
Change is good.
So I have a few new ideas that will keep me in shape, but hopefully keep me in check as well.

2011 has also been filled with good friends, some fun parties and get togethers.
Big daddy & I hope to maybe get some of our friends together for a party of our own.
who knows, we'll have to see about that.
Could be fun.

Of course the big addition to our family is Chelsea aka "the chelster" . She was probably the most excitement of 2011 for us.
She has been a welcome addition I might add.
Who knew you could love a small, snorty, sometimes smelly creature so much?


But otherwise a fairly uneventful year.
It flew by faster than I care to think about actually.
I can't believe it's soon to be 2012. Crazy.

2011 was for the most part filled with happiness, good healthy (with the exception of the last 8 weeks gah!!) , good friends, and family and the world's sweetest daughter.
I only hope 2012 is as good to me.
Happy New Year!!

merry christmas eve

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.
~Larry Wilde

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas...
xo

elf on my shelf

I'm so running out of hiding places.
glad that christmas is in 4 more days..

dreaming of a green christmas

It's hard to believe it's already the middle of December and it's still pretty green outside.
As much as fluffy flakes get me in the the Christmas mood, I'll take 10+ degree temperatures mid Dec. any day.
It makes running around doing errands that much easier.
It also makes the winter seem that much shorter.
I think last year we had already had a few major snow storms by this time.

I do wish I had more interesting things to write about other than the weather (once again) , but (once again) my mind is drawing a blank.
I've been so sick & tired these days (once again) that I've got nothin'.
Last week we were out every night, which was fun, but unfortunately as a result, I'm having a hard time getting over a lovely sinus infection.
wah wah..
Jeez, I'm sure no one wants to read about me and my never ending bouts of colds & flus, but the only reason I write about them is so that I can some day (hopefully) look back and remember that it was just a phase.
And it's part of having young kids in school and that just like teething, potty training and sleepless nights, it too shall pass.

Besides I'm pretty sure no one really reads this blog anymore.
And if you are going to complain and whine, it might as well be on a blog and not at all the holiday parties we still have to go to.
oh and on the up side, who knew that cold medicine gave you such a weird buzz?
who needs run & eggnog..
always a silver lining I suppose..

I'm also hoping that by the time Christmas rolls around, I will have had some down time to sit and contemplate 2011 and what it meant to me.
Aside from being sick 60% of the time.
And more importantly what I would like 2012 be like.
Hopefully virus free.

on the first day of christmas

For some reason this year I'm finding myself totally getting into the spirit of Christmas.
Maybe it's having a 6 year old that is doing it?
Or maybe the arrival of the first flakes of the white stuff yesterday that has me humming holiday tunes.
Whatever it is though, I'm liking it.
Having never been a big fan of the Christmas season, I like my new outlook on things.
It's so much more fun than being a bah-humbug.
Bonus that I already have a big chunk of my Christmas shopping finished already.
As in Santa.
Love Mastermind Toys.
One stop shopping at it's best.
I also love that Lulu asked for a few small and simple things.
Hex bugs- check
lego- check
micro phone with stand- lord help me- check
magic set-check
new art supplies- check

10 drummers drumming...

spilling the beans

It's hard to believe it's already the end of November!
I'm still sneaking Lulu's Halloween stash after she's gone to bed each night..
Must throw that crap out once and for all.
Time to make room for the candy cane ice cream and Christmas cookies.

November really was a bit of a blur.
So much happening, so little time to sit down and blog.

But all is well and life is good.
Lulu had her first official report card and we were pretty pleased with her teacher's comments and her over all results in school.
Shockingly there were no comments about her being too talkative (like her dad & I were) in class.
On the contrary, she puts up her hand and is always eager to please the teacher.
So much so that she has a very strong sense of justice.
She likes to play by the rules and gets very frustrated when her peers do not.
Sometimes a bit too frustrated.
Lord let this continue though her teens..

She also keeps me up to speed on who's doing what and who got in trouble each day.
Which of course I completely encourage.
As long as it's not her, I'm happy.

So yesterday, while walking home from school, her and another girl from the neighbourhood were clowning around as her mom and I made small talk while trying to get them to get a move on so we could get home.
They were playing with some sticks they found on the ground.
Eventually we got home and Lulu decided to tell me something that this girl had said to her.
Apparently she whispered to Lulu "let's scratch the cars parked on the street with our sticks" and "let's spit on our moms"
I did hear Lulu say "no we'll get in big trouble."
And that's when we parted ways.

So when she told me about it, I thanked her for being so honest and told her that it wasn't acceptable behaviour in the least.
Even if they didn't actually do it, even joking about it is wrong and not funny at all.
She agreed and said that's why she decided to tell me in the first place.
I'm glad she gets that.

Now if Lulu said something like that I'd want to know about it.
No question.
So today I ran into this girls mother and told her what Lulu had told me and her reaction was well.....complete denial.
I was a bit taken aback actually.
She basically said that there was no way her daughter would say something like that and practically accused Lulu of lying.
I was pretty pissed.
If someone came to me and casually said you might want to know something that Lulu said out of your ear shot, my reaction would be "really? I'm floored that she would say something like that, it's a bit out of character but I will definitely be speaking to her about it later." and "thanks so much for letting me know."
Then I would go home and have a pity party and wonder what I've done wrong to have my daughter thinking that spitting on me would be remotely funny.
But that's just me.
And for the record, I'm 99.9% sure Lulu would never say or do anything like that.
She's not perfect, but she is a pretty respectful kid.
This girl on the other hand is a bit on the unpredictable side, so quite frankly I wasn't surprised at all.

But now I kind of regret telling her mother about it.
I didn't make a big deal out of it and tried to be as nonchalant as possible, but still.
Like I said, I'd want to know.
I am so annoyed by her reaction.
Should I have said nothing?
what would you have done?

11.11.11

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." -Cynthia Ozick

ahchoo

Honestly I hate to post about being sick, feeling sick or looking after a sick kid and sick puppy yet again.
But unfortunately that's been my reality these past several weeks (or maybe it's months) but whose counting?
It's been nothing major, just the usual annoying colds and flu making the endless rounds.
What drives me crazy is that I feel like it's only us that seems to get sick all the time.
Us as in Lulu & I (and now Chelsea)
I just don't understand why.
I am a complete clean freak and germ-a-phobe so I don't get it.
We have one of the healthiest diets I know of.
Laurens favourite meal is Quinoa, tofu and kale.
Need I say more?
I've been using my juicer every day making vitamin rich concoctions like carrot, beet apple ginger juice or Orange, pineapple, carrot ginger just to name a few.
Not to mention all the healthy meals I've been making.
Seriously healthy.
Very little alcohol happening around here either. sniff sniff.
Trying my best to get 8 hours of sleep a night. Lulu gets 10-11 hours.
I practically have hand sanitizer on a holster.
Exercise is a regular part of my week- it's like breathing for me.
Of course I haven't been able to get to the gym as much as I would like to with all this nursing everyone back to health business.
I could be a spokes person for Natural Health Magazine.
So I just don't get it.
why us?
Is this normal?
Are we the only ones who seem to be fighting off viruses on a weekly basis since the beginning of school?
Maybe I should just run to the nearest Walmart and lick the escalator hand rail and then go use the bank machine and put my fingers in my eye right after pushing all the buttons?
Heck maybe I should be really crazy and go outside without a coat on?
Or maybe I should fill up our car with gas (not full serve) and wipe my hands on my mouth after touching the hand pump.
Oh and then I should go stand in line at the nearest walk-in clinic and just breathe in all the coughs and sneezes.
We should just go to McDonald's for all of our meals from now on. Hmmm I wonder if they have tofu Mc Nuggets?
Okay so I'm rambling...I suppose I've been cooped up too long.
What I'm really trying to say is that I'm super frustrated that there is nothing I can do (or so it appears) to prevent from getting sick.
I'm doing all that I can, but it just doesn't seem to work.
Maybe I'm missing something though.
am I?
Anyone out there have any fool proof tips for staying healthy at this time of year, aside from surrounding ourselves with a giant plastic bubble?

here comes the sun

Yesterday when Lulu's bedroom was awash with warm orange light first thing in the morning we almost didn't know what it was.
Are they shooting a film next door and using large lights?
Did the street lamp get a newer brighter bulb?
No wait, I think it's actually the sun!
We almost starting jumping up and down on the spot.
The sun, the sun! where or where have you been?
of course it only lasted until after lunch. sigh..
Is it me, or has it been endlessly rainy and dreary this fall?
Aside from a gloriously warm Thanksgiving weekend, I can't remember the last we time shuffled though the autumn leaves, and stared in awe at all the beautiful colours on the trees.
Lulu is usually busy collecting leaves to and from school, not this year.
Instead we've been hiding under an umbrella for most of October.
I'm definitely getting my moneys worth out of my Hunters.
I just hope Halloween isn't a bust.
Nothing worse than a rainy night for trick or treating.
Wah wah.

I haven't been writing much these days.
I seriously can't believe how fast the days fly by.
There just never seems to be a spare minute to sit down and just think and reflect.
When I do get a second to myself, I feel like I'm always compiling To-do lists in my head instead of just thinking about what has already been accomplished.
Either that or I end up writing about mundane things like the weather.
Have things really come to this?
I guess my brain is just tired.
Perhaps it's a lack of creative stimulation, or maybe I'm just feeling a little parental burn out.
Either way, I'd love to turn things around.
Finish a good book, see an interesting film.
Go to an art gallery.
Maybe a little time out from car pooling, play-dates, taking care of sick puppies & children and grocery shopping might just do the trick.
Well that, and if the sun makes another appearance soon..



another gratuitous puppy picture, I know.
I can't help myself.

Sound Bites

There are days when I feel like I'm a 27 year old trapped in a 40 year old's body.
Sure I'm responsible and for the most part, fairly mature when it comes to life, don't get me wrong.
Then again I was pretty responsible at 27 too.
Ish.
But when it comes to music, I feel very different from my fellow peers and other moms.
I love discovering new bands (even better when they are easy on the eyes)

I can't tell you how many dinner parties that we have gone to and the music is just BAD.
I mean Rock Lobster? realllY?
and Love shack by The B-52's?
Cummon.
And do we really need to hear more Lady GaGa? do we?
It's always too loud and then the obligatory dance in the same spot around the kitchen island embarrassment ensues.
Myself or big daddy try our best not to partake, regardless of how much Pinot was consumed.
I draw the line at being a dancing cougar.
I love my friends, don't get me wrong, but man their taste in music is quite frankly...awful.
Or at least in my not-so-humble-opinion.
(and if I know you and you are reading this you most likely do not fall into this category)

There is the type of music you play when you have friends for dinner and are trying to have a conversation, then the kind you just want to party to, and then there is the kind you play when you are in your car, there's the cooking dinner variety and then the early morning get up and go (or even better ease into the day kind)
My point is, there's so much great music out there that has a time and a place.
With itunes, Satellite radio & the awesome app. 8tracks, there really shouldn't be an excuse for listening to bad music.
Then again, maybe these are the reasons for all the bad music.
Too much to choose from.

Big daddy & I were out for dinner last weekend and the restaurant we were at was playing THE WORST music.
It completely ruined our dining experience.
That being said the previous weekend we were out as well and this restaurant was playing THE BEST music.
We didn't want to leave.
That's the way it should be.

So speaking of good music...
This is what's been in rotation around here these days around my place.

The Antlers- Burst Apart
Foster The People- Torches
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean (going to see then live on Saturday!!)
Little Dragon- Ritual Union
Beirut- The Rip Tide
Bon Iver- For Emma
Kings Of Convienence- everything they've ever done
Angus & Julia Stone- Hollywood
Azure Ray- Wake Up Sleepy Head
Elephant Parade- Bedroom recordings
Rosie Thomas- All The way From Michigan
SeaBear- The Ghost That Carried Us Away
Sufjan Stevens- Seven Swans
Fleet Foxes- Fleetfoxes
The Go Find- Stars On The Wall
Gem Club- Breakers (so hauntingly beautiful)
Kings Of Leon- everything..love these boys..huge crush on all the Followells.
Hot Chip- The Warning
Waldecks Gramaphone
Francis England- Mind Of My Own, Lulu knows all the words...so cute.
Stan Getz- Standards
Roger Miller- Classic

Okay so maybe the vast majority of this music isn't really music to party to.
Then again it depends on what you define as a good party...

What are you listening to these days?