tell tale tickle

Coughing sneezing sniffling aches pains...cold...hot...shivers...chapped lips.. and red nose.
Oh the joys of cold and flu season.
It all started last weekend-as in 10 days ago.
En-route to my parents I felt a little "off" and was actually tempted to turn around and drive home 30 minutes into our trip.
But I decided to tough it out, and attributed my queasy stomach and achy back to bad pizza that we had had the night before.
But it continued, and to top it off Lulu also wasn't herself.
Kind of whiny which really isn't like her.
I should have known what was coming.
She was sick all week with high fevers on and off and a really congested cough.
poor little thing.
So I spent the week nursing her back to health as much as I could.
Lots of liquids, fruit popsicles, ginger tea and chicken soup, and lots and lots of extra TLC.
There were two days where she actually wouldn't let me put her down and I had to hold her burning hot little body as she fell in and out of sleep.
Every-time she gets sick it just kills me. I hate seeing her like that.
I will say that each time she does get ill, I feel a bit more experienced and know that eventually (knock wood) that she will be back to normal within a few days.
Those first few fevers when she was younger were terrible.
So we have been holed up at home with the exception of the odd walk around the block for a bit of fresh air and a few short errands on Saturday.
If I could just get her to blow her nose! so frustrating.
we had to resort to forcibly putting saline drops in her nostrils so that she wouldn't be overly congested.
I'm paranoid that she will get yet another ear infection and wanted to try and keep the sinus as clear as possible.
Today is the first day that she is almost back to normal.
Me on the other hand...I'm like a granny with Kleenex stuffed into her sleeve.
Carrying a box with me from room to room.
I am really knocked on my ass with this virus.
I can't remember feeling so awful.
Usually I can tough it out and carry on with life, but not this time.
I hesitate to take any over the counter meds and usually opt for good old fashioned ginger root tea, chicken soup and rest.
The latter being slightly impossible with a two and a half year old climbing all over me.
But I caved and have started raiding big daddy's stash of cold and flu drugs.
I'm a bit of a naturalist and he loves his drugs.
the legal kind of course.
I just want to be healthy again.
It really does suck to be sick, and quite honestly I can't handle any more daytime television.
I seriously don't get all the fuss about Oprah.
I used to watch it occasionally, but I kind of find it a bit annoying.
sorry...that probably just cost me a few readers.
But seriously yawn..boring and also kind of depressing.
Like I need to feel more depressed when I've been cooped up for 10 days straight at home.
blah...
Even Ellen couldn't cheer me up this week.
this has to be my most negative post to date. sorry about that.
Anyone else plagued with this crazy virus that's going around?
and is it just me, or are there just more bugs going around this year than in the past?
My parents keep reminding me that "you never got sick so often when you where young"
well.. living in a city with a large population, eating food from around the globe and living with a two and a half year old germ magnet will do it to you I guess.
Maybe we should move to Nunavut and eat bannock, caribou, local trout and seaweed.
mmm sounds kind of good.

man in the oranges

There are certain words that lulu says that totally crack me up, and I just can't bring myself to correct her.
It's so sweet when she mixes up her verbs & nouns.
One of my favourite "mistakes" is "man-in-the-oranges" her way of saying mandarin oranges.
I even find myself thinking..oh I had better pick up some man-in-the-oranges at the grocery store today.
Not to be mistaken with flirting with some guy in the produce section.
She also says opimeal- for oatmeal. which is also hilarious.
I know I'm supposed to teach her to pronounce things correctly- which for the most part I do,
but man-in-the-oranges...I just can't.
It makes me laugh everytime she says it.
And who doesn't need a good chuckle from time to time?
I think I'll just let her eventually figure it out on her own.
For now we'll just keep searching for that little man in the orange ;)

oh and above photo just happened to be a random "man-in-the-orange" peel on the sidewalk.
I couldn't resist.

the grass is greener

How many Sunday mornings have I been awoken at the crack of dawn- or in these cold dark January mornings...long before dawn...and wished for just one more-make that two more hours of sleep?
But instead miss lulu comes bouncing into our bed, plucking eyelashes, and squeezing my cheeks saying "wake up mommy!!"
"it's time to get up!" "I'm thirsty, or I'm hungry!" "let's play!!" "I'm your little kitty cat...meow..."
and so begins most Sundays.
That's not to say that we don't all end up back in bed for an extra bit of story time and coffee drinking, but usually it's still dark out.
I have often fantasized about those pre-Lulu days, when big daddy and I would lounge in bed reading the paper trying to decide where to go for brunch or what movie to go and see that day.
What did we do with all that free time?
So when we were at my parents yesterday, Lulu asked if she could stay.
we were unprepared and didn't have anything with us, just expecting a short visit.
But when I saw the look on my parents and Lulu's face how could I say no?
So big daddy and I returned home without our little bug.
sure we were able to have an uninterrupted conversation all the way home.
and not rush back so that we would be back for bath/bedtime- therefor allowing us to stop at Ikea and get in and out of there in under and hour- so not possible if Lulu had been with us.
The place was packed on a Saturday night with mostly young couples getting that first sofa for their new place together...
awe how sweet...
I was actually feeling kind of old to be honest..it's been a long time since our first place. A long time..
we were also able to go out for a late dinner and get a ton of things done over the weekend.
But it just wasn't the same without her here.
We went for brunch- something I have been wanting to do for a while, but some how we always end up eating at home on the weekends as it's just easier most of the time.
So big daddy & I went for a bit of a bacon & eggs here.
It was good and nice to be out on a Sunday morning but once again I couldn't help but to miss Lulu- as did big daddy.
It's actually pretty boring when she's not with us.
I looked around and other couples looked kind of bored too.
Then I remembered that big daddy & I were bored before we had lulu.
we definitely got to a point in our lives when we actually got bored of going out for brunch each weekend.
I guess I just forgot.
Being without lulu today just reminded me of how much she has enhanced and enriched our lives.
Not that I had really forgotten- each day she gives me so much joy.
Sure it's easy to complain about getting dragged out of bed at an ungodly hour on a Sunday morning, but really, what is more fun than reading Green Eggs & Ham in bed with a soy latte and my sweet little girl snuggled in between her two biggest fans?
not too much.

blogging about blogging

A few days ago I ran out of pink disposable razors.
mood: unkempt.
Today I ate a smoked turkey wrap with pesto, avocado & goat cheese.
While out walking this morning, my finger tips felt like they were about to turn black and fall off from the freezing January cold.
Must invest in more practical-less fashionable winter wear.

What the hell am I going on about?
well I started watching the Rick Mercer Report on Tuesday nights and I guess you could say that I'm feeling inspired.
enjoy...I did.
I love this man.

oh and click on the second image- "last guy to get a blog"...and be patient it takes a minute or so.

ducks in a row

So far 2008 has gotten off to a great start.
Not sure if that is proper English or not- but my point is that things are going pretty smoothly these days.
Big daddy & I are actually spending some quality time together.
Lulu is over-the-top-a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.
she is so incredibly affectionate.
Out of the blue she will just kiss me and ask for a "major hug" and tell me that she loves me.
She is my best little buddy and I love spending as much time with her as I can.
I just can't get enough of this phase.
In some ways I wish it would last forever.
I am, as one of my favourite bloggers suggests..."collecting the moments".
I'm finally getting some personal things accomplished and crossed off the ol' list.
One of which, being to finish my bedroom.
The wheels are in motion and I finally ordered some wallpaper for behind our bed.
I can't wait to get the room finished, as it will be the final room that needed to be done since we moved in four years ago.
My mom was staying with us all week and it was so nice having her here.
It gave big daddy & I the opportunity to go out for a movie and a fantastic dinner here.
I wish she lived closer so that she could be here more often, but the time we do get to spend together I am very grateful for.
I feel like we have so much time to make up for.
Since Lulu came into our lives we have never been closer- and I have never been more content.
I know this sounds corny- but I'm just so grateful.
and happy.

a bit of a lame post...but very distracting with big daddy watching CSI Miami in the background.

best gift ever

Ahh..another holiday season has come to an end (unless of course, you are Ukrainian)
We kept the gifts to a minimum this year, in fact big daddy and I got each other zip. zero. zilch.
perfect.
nothing to return or exchange.
I, err.. Santa... brought Lulu her cake(s) as promised.

and on a whim, and under holiday duress and in last minute panic mode, decided to buy Lulu a Leapster.
A few moms in the same aisle at Toys R us raved about them, so I went with the masses and quickly grabbed the second last pink Leapster on the rack.
Yeah woo! good choice.
no, make that great choice.
Lulu loves it and it was a total hit.
It's small and we can take it on trips (if we ever decide to book something) and it is fantastic at restaurants.
find out more about it here.
Also it has encouraged her to use her "computer" while mommy is using her ibook.
It was getting a tad annoying with lulu always asking me to go to the tree-house web site.
sheesh...it's bad enough with one computer-hog in the family a.k.a. big daddy/ face-book addict.
So I had to take desperate measures so that I could carve out a few precious moments on my computer uninterrupted.
A girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do.
So if you, like me, used to be a nay sayer when it comes to electronic gadgets for tots...well....all I can say is that I am a Leapster convert.

oh and hello, if anyone from Leapfrog is reading this...um a certain somebody would LOVE the Scooby Doo spooky snacks game.
Just thought I'd put it out there ;

happy new year!