Drop, Cover, and HOLD ON!
Published June 23, 2010 @ 17:42 in Around the House
So... did you feel the earth move this afternoon?
I was sitting in my kitchen, on the phone, when my chair started to vibrate. At first I thought my A/C was on too strong. Then the table and chandelier started shaking. My second thought was who or what the heck is jumping around upstairs. Finally I realized that we were having an earthquake!
We don't get many earth quakes in Toronto. Isn't it sort of exciting? I remember two others in my life. But this one seemed pretty good to me, and seemed to last more than just a second or two.
I called Husband, but he was driving and didn't feel anything (we have such bumpy roads in Toronto). Then I called my mother. She wanted to know if I knew what to do in a earth quake... um.... hmmm... no idea!
Growing up in Toronto, we are not trained in proper safety for earth quakes, floods, hurricanes, or tornadoes. Yes, of course anything could happen, but once every 12, 20, or 100 years doesn't really seem like something we need to prepare for.
But just in case, I looked it up (for next time.) Don't you love the internet? Check out what you need to know - the
seven steps to earth quake preparedness.
The short answer? Drop, cover, and hold on. Drop to the floor, cover yourself with a strong piece of furniture, like a table, and hold on until the shaking stops.
So... I guess my interrupting the woman I was speaking with on the phone and shouting, "HOLY COW! Can you feel that earth quake? OMG! We never get these!" wasn't the appropriate response...
Next time I'll know!
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Gardening
Published June 4, 2010 @ 17:16 in Around the House
Who likes to garden? I mean, really, come on! You get dirty and sweaty in the sun. And then their are the prickly weeds and the weird and scary looking bugs. Yep, certainly not a fan.
However, this week something possessed me to try gardening. Blame it on the kids who saw all of the colourful petunias right near the check-out (complete impulse purchase).
$200 later I had a hoe, some annuals, some perennials, a couple of fruit and vegetable plants, some grass seed and 3 bags of soil. And I was ready to go.
Did you know that gardening is really hard work? I swear that the old lady next door (87 and still keeps a perfect lawn and garden) was amazed that after 10 years of living here I have finally taken an interest in the garden. In fact, she was so amazed that she stood at the fence pointing out weeds to me while I worked.
Husband is the lawn and garden guy. This was sort of by default as he grew up on a farm, and therefore had more experience making things grow and dealing with dirt. I, on the other hand, assumed that I had a bit of a green thumb growing up, only to face the reality of throwing out plant after plant that turned brown or yellow or dried out under my care.
Monday and Tuesday this week I started the gardening. First, I had to hoe all of the grass out of the garden. You see, Husband likes to throw the clippings onto the garden when he cuts the grass. I don't know why. So grass started growing between the plants in the garden until it took over. Then Husband tried to claim that it was "decorative grass." Nope.
I lay the plants out around the garden in the front and back and got to work. Really, I had to guess where in the garden was "half-sun" and "full-sun" but fingers crossed it will all work out.
Son Two was the biggest help, and I am hoping that he has inherited his father's green thumb and under his influence the garden will prosper. Plus, with all of the rain the past few days, these new plants may just have a fighting chance.
Or it may just be a big waste of $200...
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Party Prep - Step 1 - Make Ice
Published May 7, 2010 @ 19:15 in Around the House
I don't know how I get myself into these things. Six weeks ago it sounded like a great idea to host the year end party for Son One's Select hockey team. The big day is tomorrow, and I scheduled it late to ensure good weather for a BBQ. Thanks Weatherman... POP 70%
Like most people, I learned party preparation through osmosis, growing up watching our parents host their own shin-digs.
For some, this mean spending a week cleaning the house top to bottom. In our house, my sisters and I removed clutter and helped with cleaning. Lucky for us my parents didn't play host weekly.
For other families, the focus is on food preparation. The week is spent in the kitchen, creating dish after dish. I love the baking part, but my own mother is the master of the perfect turkey, smooth gravy, and getting all of the food on the table hot at the right time.
Another important task, especially for the summer party, is making ice.
Yes, as a child I recall ice cube trays getting repeatedly filled and emptied into bags for the week leading up to the affair. Then, it became even easier to "make the ice" when refrigerators started coming with their very own build in ice makers. WOW!
Now, gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, even drug stores; every place you go there is an ice cooler where you can buy ready made bags of ice for as little as $2.50!!!!
Did they have this as a business when I was growing up? Who was the genius behind this idea to sell frozen water? (Likely the grandfather of the genius who decided to sell bottled tap water!)
For the BBQ tomorrow, making ice is part of my "party prep." Now the real question is, should I bother? Am I wasting my time making something that I could easily spend $10 on instead? Or I am being efficient and green, saving the environment from the trucks delivering ice to the corner stores and my own van from the drive? I mean, my fridge is working anyways, right? And isn't it more efficient to have a full freezer?
My kids caught me emptying the ice maker from the fridge into zip-lock bags...
"What are you doing, Mom?" they asked.
"Just making ice for the party tomorrow," I answered, a little sheepishly.
"Can we help?"
Just passing on another tradition to the next generation.
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Laundry Woes
Published April 16, 2010 @ 10:14 in Around the House, Loving Daddy
I hate laundry more than anything else in the entire world. Except onions. I definitely hate onions more than laundry, but I am also able to avoid them. Laundry is my unavoidable personal hell. Dante should have included it in his Inferno.
This morning, I had yet another laundry problem. Husband, in his attempt to wash ONE shirt, emptied the clean clothes from the washer. Alas, there were clean, dry clothes in the dryer, so he emptied those as well. The domino effect.
Now, instead of going upstairs, and emptying one of the laundry baskets full of clean clothes, and refilling it with the clothes from the dryer (yes, laundry is everywhere in my home), he instead chose to empty the contents of the dryer, clean, dry clothes, onto the laundry room floor.
There, the clean, dry clothes migrated to join the HUGE pile of dirty, unwashed clothes, also in piles on the laundry room floor.
This morning, I head down to do some laundry, and shock of shock, I CAN'T DISTINGUISH THE CLEAN CLOTHES FROM THE DIRTY!!!
Of course, I marched upstairs, picked up the phone, and called Husband to give him a piece of my mind. He wasn't available. Tried the cell phone. No dice.
Headed back downstairs to see if I could somehow, using my advanced mommy sense of smell, cleave the dirty from the clean. Not a chance. I ended up throwing them all back into the washer for another round.
Now, to one who hates laundry as I do, almost as much as onions, this is a nightmare. I have more than enough laundry without washing clean clothes.
However, I have decided to let Husband off the hook for this one. There will be no discussion... I am just going to breath, let it go, and never mention it again. Isn't he the lucky one today?
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What happened to Spring?
Published April 9, 2010 @ 20:31 in Around the House
Perhaps our hockey season will never end, but with the beautiful weather over the Easter weekend I believed that Spring had arrived. Today - flurries.
FLURRIES!
I just took my snow tires off, and patted myself on the back for getting the hats, mittens, boots, winter coats and snow pants put away.
YES - FLURRIES!
I was chilled to the bone all day. My current plan is to crawl into bed and hibernate until it really is Spring again.
However - currently there is someone over installing a new dryer, so I have to stay dressed and awake.
This is what I love about my father.
Last night, I put a load of laundry in the dryer. It is sounded terrible, and I don't think that it was spinning at all.
Called my dad at about 9 pm. Yes, I am 35 years old - but so? (Note - my father was also the one who took my minivan into get my tires changed, and has organized a new door for the van for me)
Today, I had a new dryer by noon. Tonight, it will be installed. How's that for service?
My husband is wonderful, and cleaned the laundry room, removed the old dryer (involved removing the side door) and put the new dryer into the basement laundry room.
HOWEVER - without my father purchasing the dryer today, and organizing the installation, I could have been weeks or MONTHS without a dryer.
Can you imagine a living without full service laundry facilities for days, let alone weeks or months, with three children? As much as I hate laundry, the thought of not being able to do it when I need to terrifies.
Thanks Dad!
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Good Bye Winter Clothes
Published April 2, 2010 @ 18:50 in Around the House
It is official. Winter hats, boots, mittens and coats have all been removed from my entry way. There are three bags to be donated of clothes and boots that won't be making it to our next winter.
Does this officially mean that spring is here? I spoke with a mom yesterday who said that she is going to keep the mittens and hats around just a little bit longer. Personally, I couldn't be happier to see them finally go!
Unfortunately, living in an old Toronto home means that we don't really have much storage. Where to put all of the winter coats, snow pants, scarves, mittens, boots and hats for next season? So far they are squeezed into the back of Husband's work-clothes closet in the basement. I am sure to catch heck for squishing his suits.
Today I wore SANDALS! If that doesn't say, "Hello sunshine!" I don't know what does. Of course, if was just a reminder of how neglected my poor feet have been all winter. Yep, time for a pedicure. Except that I had strangers touching my feet. And I am extremely ticklish. Even more so with strangers. So that leaves me with the at-home option. Luckily, Daughter loves nail-polish just as much as the next four-year-old girl, so I have an assistant.
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Spring Fever and Spring Cleaning
Published March 31, 2010 @ 08:06 in Around the House
In my mind, these two phrases just don't go together. Whoever invented the idea of spring cleaning must have been one industrious person, because after months of being cooped up inside, all I want to do is head outdoors!
But, alas, there is much to do when you are raising a family of four (yes, husband, I am now raising you...)
Things I need to get done BEFORE Easter Sunday:
1) Arrange to get my snow-tires off the minivan - ok, so not exactly cleaning inside the house...
2) Put away winter jackets, boots and hats, gloves, etc. FIRST - get rid of boots, single gloves and mitts and worn-out jackets (yes - my children actually do wear-out clothes!)
3) Go through drawers and remove clothing that they no longer fit into
4) Get rid of broken and seldom used toys.
5) Find lacrosse sticks and equipment, baseball stuff, and soccer shoes. (Sadly, I cannot yet put away the hockey equipment... WILL THE SEASON NEVER END!)
I have a thought for people, men and women, who are considering starting a family. If you don't like lots and lots of stuff, and lots of lots of work, don't have kids. Somehow, their possessions are never contained where they are meant to be contained.
At this moment, I have FOUR COMPLETE SETS of hockey equipment airing out in the living room. Yes, FOUR!
Last night a friend stopped by to pick something up and looked into my living room and said, "Thank God! I thought I was the only one with hockey equipment airing out in her living room!" Glad to make you feel better.
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My Cat The Cone Head
Published January 14, 2010 @ 08:03 in Around the House
We have a beautiful, wonderful cat named Merlin.
Last week, Husband noticed a sort of lump on his shoulder. Merlin then licked it raw. Of course, with all of the birthday party preparation, I didn't make it to the vet (plus I didn't want to pay the weekend emergency rates.) Unfortunately, by Sunday night it had turned into a gaping, pus-leaking wound.
Monday morning I took him to the vet. Yes, I acknowledge, we are WAY overdue. No, we haven't visited another vet in the meantime. I really wanted to point out that my kids are also overdue for dentist and doctor's appointments, but I didn't think that admission would gain me any brownie points with the vet. (Yes, I know I can't take care of my cat very well, but look, I don't take much better care of my kids!)
The vet shaved Merlin's shoulder and cleaned the wound. Now, Merlin is walking around with a cone on his head so that he doesn't like the sore any more.
He is an adorable older cat (almost 12) who is really sweet and loving. And here we are, the kids and I, making him the butt of our jokes because he is a cone head! He keeps knocking into furniture as he figures out how to navigate the big plastic thing stuck to his neck. And Merlin is nothing if not determined, trying multiple times a day to get the cone off. The worst part seems to be when he has an itchy ear, and he just can't scratch it!
Only another week, and we are back at the vet. He has to stay inside the entire time, we have to keep chasing him away from the doors. But we love him, and are so happy that it is just something small.
I have to be honest. My cats were my babies before I had my real babies. But now, Merlin is just a pet. I swear that the demotion was completely unforeseen by me. While pregnant with Son One I even read article on how to introduce the new baby to the cat, bringing him a blanket from the hospital before actually bringing home the baby, leaving Son One in the infant carrier on the living room floor and letting the cats smell and go near him to get acquainted.
But now Merlin is low beast on the totem pole in our home. However, as a loving, sweet, and good-natured beast, he has adapted. He loves the kids, and they love him. It is great for them to have show affection and care for a pet. It is nice to see him cuddle up with them on their beds at night, and put up with their harasment. We are a better family for loving Merlin.
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Coffee... Good
Published January 5, 2010 @ 07:31 in Around the House
Musical beds last night. I lost.
I often brag about what great sleepers my kids are, and they usually are. Since they were young, once they started sleeping through the night, they've slept through UNLESS they were sick.
Last night was just a weird night.
I didn't even start off in my own bed!
At around 2 am, I heard the pitter-patter of little feet. Then the scrape of the bathroom stool across the floor. I got up to see what was going on. Daughter was getting herself a drink of water. I crawled into bed beside her.
Falling asleep, I heard Son One get up and run to the bathroom. Nose Bleed. He is used to them, so he grabbed some Kleenex and a garbage bin and sat at the end of sister's bed waiting for it to stop.
When it stopped, I noticed that he had blood on his white shirt. Changed him so that I could soak it in cold. Then noticed blood drops all over the bathroom floor. Crime scene? Had to clean that up.
Crawled into bed beside Son One. Sometime, maybe around 5 am?, Daughter joined us.
I can't remember the last night when we had so much activity. Definitely tired looking this morning. And to think that I was just joking with Husband the other day about trying for a fourth. What was I thinking? Sleep... Good. But when you miss it, coffee has to do.
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Countdown to Christmas
Published December 11, 2009 @ 07:27 in Around the House, Being Mommy, Shopping and Stuff
There is a house that I drive by, not daily but often enough, that does a countdown to Christmas with an easel on the front lawn. "13 more sleeps until Christmas"
I hate it. I hate parents who count in "sleeps". I hate the pressure of knowing exactly how many more days I have to finish the million and one things on my list. I am busy and rushed enough without having to feel worse every time I drive by this house.
The past few weeks, I have actually started going different routes just to avoid the house in the neighbourhood with the countdown. How's that for Christmas spirit?
I am about 80% done my present shopping list. Today and tomorrow I have to clean the house to prepare for the purchase of our Christmas Tree (Step One: Remove the 4 sets of hockey equipment airing out in the living room)
Real or fake? Obviously, I love real. Better for the environment; smell better; look better. Husband and I have NEVER had a fake tree. One year we kept our real tree so long, as it hadn't dropped a needle yet in mid-January, that we had to take it somewhere to dump it ourselves - it was too late for the city trucks. We used to go with the longer needled Scotch Pine, until we discovered the Fraser Fir. I've heard that they actually release sap to glue the needles to the branches as they dry out. Plus, I have a slightly neurotic Husband when it comes to watering things, so we stick with real.
Still on my Christmas to do list?
- Gifts for Teachers and coaches
- Clean house
- Get tree
- Decorate tree
- Find decorations and stockings
- Finish wrapping
- Buy stocking stuffers
- Sing a carol, or two
- Bake something with ginger or cloves
- Clean again
- Find the kids Advent Calendars after they've gone to bed and help them "catch up"
OK, the last thing, 100% true. On December 1st, Daughter tore into her and her brother's advent calendars. He was upset, she didn't understand the whole "waiting and having only one per day" (really, who does? Oh - maybe if I counted in sleeps I could explain waiting to her!)
So, I put the calendars high and out of reach. The best part? Son One seems to be the only child to grabs his down every morning for his chocolate. Did I mention that my kids got Lindt Advent Calendars this year? Yes!
Hope your plans are starting to come together...
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The Disappearing Pants
Published October 28, 2009 @ 18:47 in Around the House
I don't know what has happened to all of my boys pants, but I can't find any! Son One is missing two pairs of jeans, two pairs of regular pants, and one pair of sweat pants. That is a total of FIVE pairs of pants that he is down! See - I can do math. Simple math.
Son Two is also down pants. His issue seems to be that he is between sizes. Suddenly, if he wears size 5 you can see his ankles. However, the size 6 fall off his waist. What to do, what to do.
My pants are missing, too. I have a pair of my most comfortable jeans missing, and with the moon changing I am going to need them soon.
What to do, what to do...
Perhaps there is an evil purple pants monster lurking under the beds and stealing pairs of pants. Losing pants is sort of funny - not like an errant sock that goes missing. Pants are BIG!
Maybe this is just an excuse to shop.
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Trophies
Published October 26, 2009 @ 06:47 in Amazing Kids, Around the House
Someone, sometime between when I was a kid and now, realized that kids like trophies. I am sure it wasn't a major revelation. Maybe it has something to do with cheaper goods from Asia - two ideas coming together at just the right time, and bringing more crap into my house.
Someone, at sometime, needs to let some organizations know that while the kids really like the trophies, moms do not.
What ever happened to the purple participant ribbons? That is what you were supposed to get for just showing up. My kids get these 10 inch high, fancy-shmancy winners trophies with a small plaque that reads, "Participant"
The average family will soon have to build trophy rooms, or buy a few Ikea Billy Bookcases, just to store and display all of these participant trophies. I ask you, fellow parents, what is the correct protocol? The biggest trophies used to be the best, the most hard-fought. They actually meant that you won something. But now that we have huge participant trophies, which ones get the places of honour in the display?
Mothers when we were growing up used to complain about our trophies as other things that you had to dust. Forget the dusting, for me it is something else that I have to find a place for!
Honestly, do I even have to keep them all? Is there a trophy recycling facility somewhere? Can I ship them off to Africa where the poor kids could grow up never receiving a trophy? (OK, so hockey, T-ball and lacrosse may not be big sports there, but do the kids really care as long as they get a trophy?)
Let's go back to those ribbon days. Ribbons are small, and can easily fit in a scapebook. No dusting or display required.
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Messes for Mom
Published October 20, 2009 @ 10:28 in Amazing Kids, Around the House
Becoming a mom means that you have to leave squeamishness behind. Without producing a complete list of the bodily fluids (and solids) that we often have to deal with, I am no longer revolted at the thought of changing a diaper or ministering to a vomiting child.
But it doesn't mean I enjoy it.
Daughter is going through some kind of phase. Take an adorable little girl who has been toilet trained for a while, and suddenly she is having too much fun to make it to the bathroom on time. Last night I actually got woken up by her crying, and while carrying her to the washroom, I got peed on. I, in turn, woke up Husband because I just didn't want to deal with it alone. Misery loves company.
Where in the mother's handbook does it say that we get peed on?
Son One, frat boy in the making, actually "partied-til-he-puked" a few weeks ago. Gee, he didn't know that it wasn't a good idea to run around, eat three pieces of pizza, run around some more and then guzzle half a litre of cold water? I was backing out of the driveway after the birthday party when he started vomiting. All. Over. My. Minivan.
I also think that at least one of the males in my house, not naming any names, has a real aim problem, if you know what I mean. One mother told me that she still makes her 12 year old sit down to pee. I don't know. I think my boys are so thrilled with being able to pee standing up, and it is one of the greatest things about being a boy, how could I crush that?
Clorox wipes are becoming my new best friends, as I clean up after snotty, peeing, vomiting children. They actually have a new purple one that is lavender scented that is particularly nice. I have one container in each bathroom, and I am trying to convince the children to wipe up after themselves...
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Daughter's Life Saved by Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
Published October 4, 2009 @ 08:26 in Amazing Kids, Around the House
I don't often use the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. In fact, I hadn't even purchased one when they first came out. I heard a horrible story about a child who ended up in the ER because they had written on themselves with a permanent marker, and their parents tried to scrub it clean using a magic eraser and the child ended up with chemical burns.
A few years ago, my sister was kind enough to take my boys out for dinner soon after Daughter was born. They returned home from East Side Marios with non-washable crayons. I was too tired to notice, and they coloured all over my kitchen island (this was pre-reno, and my island was white.) I almost cried (blame post-natal hormones and exhaustion.) I tried everything, and then my sister-in-law suggested the Mr. Clean Magic eraser. AND IT WORKED! Easily.
Since then I have kept an eraser on hand for emergencies. They DO NOT work on pen marks on a leather ottoman; they seemed to actually take the colour out of the leather. However, crayons are a snap.
Last year I added GOO GONE to my cupboard after Daughter decided to redecorate our home with stickers. Somehow, the words, "only on paper!" fell on deaf ears. I've heard that you may have to tell your children something up to one thousand times before it sinks in, however I am not sure that even Mother Theresa had that kind of patience.
Goo Gone also works when your cat knocks over a cup of water, melting a magazine into your table top so you have to scrap it off. Seriously, imagine MacLean's and Stephen Harper stuck to you kitchen table. It has happened to me.
That fateful trip to Staples when Daughter picked out that package of his and her scissors that lead to the "haircut", she also selected a package of highlighters. Last night she decided to colour ALL OVER OUR KITCHEN TABLE with the green highlighter. ONLY ON PAPER, DAUGHTER!
Husband noticed first, and got the sponge and dish soap. Barely smudged the marker. I tried the Goo Gone, but no luck. Son One suggested the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - and then he cleaned the table himself. Thank goodness for helpful seven-year-olds! Because of her brother's ingenuity, we decided to spare Daughter's life...
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Kink in my Neck
Published September 9, 2009 @ 07:48 in Around the House
Last night (or very early this morning, 12:42 am to be exact) Daughter came into my bedroom looking for a drink.
I got out of bed, got her some water. She wanted me back in bed with her. I grabbed my pillow and lay down beside her.
Normally, I sort of "fake" sleeping with my kids. I lay there until I am sure that they are asleep, and then head back to my bed. Last night, I am not sure what happened. I must have been really tired, but I ended up sleeping in Daughter's bed all night. This morning, I can't look over my right shoulder. Wicked kink in the back of my neck.
Also unfortunate, Husband had already left for work before I had even woken up, so I don't even get a little massage to try to fix it. This means that there is a good chance that I will be stuck with this kink for most of the day. Man, this really bites.
Son One had a kink the other day, probably from sleeping on it funny. He assumed that he had whiplash. Hmmm.... first Son Two with his sore leg that "will break later today", then Son One with whiplash. Am I raising hypochondriacs? But my neck really, really hurts!
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City Strike - Please don't settle
Published July 22, 2009 @ 09:57 in Around the House
Yesterday was my garbage day. I cleaned out all of my garbage, as it was started to smell, double bagged it in the dark green bags, and put them into my minivan to take to the local temporary dump site.
I didn't have to wait, and my van wasn't approached by any union members (three sat on lawn chairs reading the newspaper and drinking coffee.) The manager came over and asked how many bags I had. I apologized for having eight, as I had collected the trash from two elder members and my grandmother. He stated that I could bring as many as I wanted. The manager then unloaded my vehicle for me and told me to have a nice day.
This is way better treatment than I get on a regular garbage day with home pick-up.
I know that the garbage collectors are not the only city employees on strike, but they do seem to be the most obvious since all of us are now dealing with our own garbage.
I hope that the city doesn't settle anytime soon. I think it is ridiculous what the unions are demanding, even by their own PR. And if the city does choose to settle, it will only be to take even more money out of my pocket to do so.
In Toronto, we are already paying 65% more for garbage pick-up then the average of 30 other Canadian cities. WOW! Cities that contract out save a lot of money, and have better service. Living in Toronto, I see my property taxes go up annually without receiving any increase in my services. The claim is that my home value also increases each year, but that only helps if I am planning on selling, which I am not. Also, I now get to pay $60 extra each year, per vehicle, just to live in the City of Toronto.
I hope that David Miller and the city councilors don't settle with the union anytime soon, because I know that settling with them will just be meeting their demands. If anything, the unions have been given too much power and money in previous negotiations, and no one is standing up for the tax payers of Toronto.
This used to be an amazing city - I would have said the best city in Canada to live. However our city hall is so messed up, it is a huge pain. I still love Toronto, I just wish that our unions, our councilors and our mayor did, too.
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Weekend Visitors
Published July 20, 2009 @ 10:44 in Around the House, Kids Activities
We seldom have company that stays over night. This is because most of our family lives within an hour drive, and therefor never feels the need to sleep over.
This weekend we had one of Husband's cousins come in with her fiance. It was a great visit.
Saturday night we went to see The Dream in High Park - William Shakespeare's The Tempest presented by CanStage and TD. Consider taking your kids to see it (I would say 10 and up). Kids are free, thanks to TD. It is PWYC (Pay What You Can), but they ask for $20 per person.
It was a great production, though not as dark as I had remembered The Tempest to be. Parts were very funny, and they have tiered the hill since I last went to a production in the park, so it was fairly comfortable. Bring a blanket, mosquito repellent, and something soft to sit on. There is a canteen, or you can bring your own picnic.
Yesterday we went to watch the Jays beat the Red Sox and walk around Habourfront.
The game was pretty good, though we sat near obnoxious fans. I don't know why this guy felt the need to heckle and boo the opposition, but really, I am trying to teach my kids good sportsmanship!
The kids loved the new wave display at Harbourfront, though I wonder how long it will be until someone gets injured, the city gets sued, and it comes down.
All in all, a great weekend.
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Summer Vacation - Day Four
Published June 29, 2009 @ 16:45 in Amazing Kids, Around the House
Garbage Day! As the city is on strike, we decided to make our own garbage day. Thanks to the hateful raccoons, I had quite the mess from the green bin to clean up this morning, so I decided it was time to visit a temporary dump.
First, I took the kids to Walmart where I needed one item: Flushables. OK, so I was running low on toilet paper and paper towels as well. And I guess I could use some Spray 'N' Wash since Son One's T-ball team has WHITE PANTS and the grass stains just don't want to come out.
$124 later...
I drove by a temporary dump site on the way home and noticed neither pickets nor a line up. BONUS!
At home we sorted and double bagged our garbage, recycling and green bin. Back to the temporary dump, the boys and I got to play garbage man by flinging our bags onto the big piles. The nice man at the entrance asked how many bags we had, and if I could handle them myself. It started pouring just as we were done our trash toss.
NOTE: They are not taking recycling at the drop-off centres. They want all garbage double bagged, preferably in black bags. And they are not separating green bin from regular garbage...
The kids really enjoyed the garbage adventure. And as good neighbours, they remembered the old lady next door and also took her green bin to the dump. Some days I really like my kids. Today is one of them.
Tonight Son One has a soccer game, assuming that the weather cooperates. Right now my three little angles are helping with laundry, and are all colouring together. I may just make it through the summer vacation after all.
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The Vidma and the Crazy Old Lady
Published June 23, 2009 @ 16:36 in Around the House
When I was a kid, there was this woman who lived near my school bus stop. She was old (though probably only in her fifties) and we called her a "vidma" or witch in Ukrainian because she would also come out and shake her broom at us when we were on her property. She had one of those cement and stone ramps, and of course we would try to walk up and down while we waiting for the bus.
We have a few elderly neighbours who don't speak much English. Luckily for me, they speak Ukrainian, so I can still communicate.
A few days ago, the "old lady from across the street" (differentiated from the "old lady next door" only by reference to the location of their homes) was walking up and down the street talking to herself.
Husband, who was playing catch out front with the boys at the time, said, "She has finally gone crazy."
Son One, who never seems to be listening, asked, "Whose gone crazy?"
In response Son Two yelled, "THE OLD LADY FROM ACROSS THE THE STREET!" I swear that his speech issues completely disappear when he says something that you wish people didn't understand.
I was down in the basement reading when Son One came running in and yelled with urgency, "Quick, Mommy! Daddy needs you!"
I was out the front door in 3 seconds flat, ready to catch Husband dangling form the roof or stuck under the car (with the boys, you never know.) Just for the record, if the roles were reversed, it would probably take three calls and 20 minutes before husband made it outside to help me.
Husband was across the street talking to the old-lady-across-the-street. She doesn't speak English, and he doesn't speak anything but; I was called in as the translator.
"She's locked herself out," Husband informed me. "Ask her if there is someone you can call."
I asked. "Sure," she replied, "call someone."
I clarified, asking if anyone had an extra key. "No," she replied.
Do any of the neighbours have a key? "No."
Can I phone a friend of family member who has a key? "No one has a key," she answered.
Do you have a key hidden anywhere, like the garage? "No."
Husband and the boys started walking around her house, looking for a way in. I told her that Husband was going to find a way in. She shrugged, seemingly unconcerned that it was getting darker.
It took my husband less than three minutes and a box cutter to get in (no screens were cut). He lifted Son Two up through the window, and he came and unlocked the front door from the inside.
The woman was amazed and thankful. Husband often does good deeds like this.
I think that the boys will remember this story for a long time. Like my Vidma, the old ladies on our street will always be nameless, but will have a place in their childhood folklore.
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Merlin trying to hide...
Published June 9, 2009 @ 12:40 in Around the House
Cats are brilliant predators, but sometimes I am reminded that it is all instinct, not brain power.
Merlin is a incredibly skilled hunter - even at his age. Weekly we find birds and mice in the yard (who knew that there were mice in Toronto?). His brother Blarney, RIP, was a savage butterfly hunter. Yes, I think cats are a little crazy.
I just caught Merlin hiding in our neighbours' front garden. Gee, can you spot the cat in this picture?
He is like a kid playing peek-a-boo! As long as they can't see you, you can't see them! Merlin's face may be behind some bushes, but I guess he doesn't realize that at 15 pounds, there is a lot more that he needs to hide! Either that, or our neighbours have cut back their garden a little too much for his liking this spring.
This is the look I got when he realized that he had been discovered... Oh yes, vicious cat, I am so scared.
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Saturday Night
Published June 6, 2009 @ 21:27 in Around the House
It is Saturday night, and I was in my pajamas before 8:30 pm. Pathetic? Or decadent?
Ten years ago I would have cringed at the thought of staying home on a Saturday night. There was bars to go to, restaurants to try and movies to see. A slow Saturday night may have been wandering around Indigo for a few hours with a hot chocolate, followed by walk up Yonge Street for ice cream. Unless I was sick, I wasn't in my pajamas before 11 pm.
I can't remember the last date night my Husband and I had on a Saturday night. A good Saturday night now includes take-out a trip to Blockbuster. Tonight it is finishing off a book, and the Detroit vs. Pittsburgh game. What a thrill.
On the upside, at least I don't feel pressure to do anything exciting, or even to leave my house on a Saturday night any more. The plus is that I have no trouble getting up on Sunday morning for a 7 am run.
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Morning Rush Hour
Published May 27, 2009 @ 09:25 in Amazing Kids, Around the House
We were doing so well this week. I actually had the boys to school really early, and was considering starting to walk them in the morning if they kept getting up this early (we are almost 2 km from school, so a bit of a hike for them. We walk home on nice days, but the mornings are a little busy.)
Then this morning...
Those boys of mine are sneaky! Today they woke up and went into my bedroom, keeping the lights off, and turned on cartoons. I thought that they were still sleeping, so I let them be. Then I went up to check - surprise, surprise!
I had twenty minutes to get three of them dressed, fed, and out the door. No problem.
Except we have this weird thing in our house. Daddy eats cereal as a late night snack, and has gotten the boys into the habit. Unfortunately, they don't put their cereal bowls into the dishwasher. I am not sure exactly what happens, but I think that Merlin, our cat, licks the bowls clean. This actually causes some milk spray, which dries and adheres the bowls to the table.
In the morning, it is a bit of fun trying to un-stick the bowls. You have to exert just the right amount of pressure. Some times it actually takes quite a bit of force, like Daddy strength; other times the kids can handle it.
Son One tried first, and couldn't get the bowl closest to him un-stuck. So I grabbed and did it, "Now eat!" I barked. We should have been in the van two minutes ago.
Son Two must have been eating his spinach. He grabbed the second bowl (maybe it wasn't stuck at all - he just expected it to be) and flung it over his head, about six feet into the air. It crashed behind him on the floor. He looked like he was about to cry.
Great. Now I have a shattered bowl to clean up and we should have been in the van three minutes ago!
I cleaned up the mess and got the boys to school on time. Luckily, traffic was light.
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GD tulip theif!
Published May 8, 2009 @ 12:10 in Around the House
On Tuesday my sons went to church with school to celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mother, since May is the month to celebrate mothers.
Son Two, being in JK, was asked to bring a cut flower to put into a vase as an offering to Mother Mary. Of course I remembered the morning of as I was getting the boys dressed. Luckily, we had some daffodils and tulips blooming the in back. Son Two selected one red and one yellow tulip to cut. Just as my mother did when I took our flowers from home to someone, I wrapped the stems first in a wet paper towel and then in aluminum foil. Off he went.
This morning my mother came by to pick something up. "Oh!" she said, "I guess some else needed flowers for school."
I looked out front - someone has cut all of my tulips from my front yard and taken them! First I have to deal with the thieving squirrels stealing the bulbs in fall, and now this.
I am outraged. I get upset with my children when they pick one little flower off of a flowering bush as we walk home from school. But to come into someone's front yard and cut and steal all of their tulips, that takes an especially big set of balls! What kind of people are there out there? GD TULIP THIEF!
I could hope that it was some poor person who really wanted a gift for their mother for Mother's Day but couldn't afford anything. But I know it's not.
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WANTED: Laundry Fairy
Published May 7, 2009 @ 11:13 in Around the House, Being Mommy
This is the pile of laundry in my bedroom. Each child also has his or her own hamper, and there is another one in the laundry room. I should be too embarrassed to show you this, but I am feeling brave that you won't judge me on my laundry. Before the cleaning lady came yesterday, this laundry was actually spread out all over the floor of my bedroom. I am afraid to throw anything else on top lest I topple her amazingly engineered structure.
I need a laundry fairy - someone who miraculously picks up every item of clothing off of the floor, washes it, folds it, and puts it away before I can trip over it.
Any ideas what something like that would cost? I swear - if I didn't have to do laundry, I would be a happier person. Maybe I should invent disposable, biodegradable clothing. You'd just have to watch out in the rain!
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Fox in Socks
Published April 28, 2009 @ 21:03 in Around the House
The quick brown fox jumped over the....
I can't remember the rest of that silly sentence from typing class! But tonight I was outside talking to a neighbour(about her never ending renovations) when we saw a fox run down our street!
He was beautiful. He ran across the road, onto the sidewalk, and sat on a neighbour's lawn across the street. I ran inside to get my camera because I wanted to take a picture for you, but he ran again before I got out.
A lady walked down the street with some kind of big dog. He watched them, then ran across the street again to get away.
Curious. I knew we had squirrels and raccoons. Once I even saw a skunk in my backyard. Now a fox? The wildlife is taking over our city!
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Sushi
Published April 13, 2009 @ 18:53 in Amazing Kids, Around the House
Tonight we had sushi for dinner. I didn't have many options. My fridge is so bare that I had to buy milk at a gas station yesterday. We have no chicken, no hotdogs, no fruit, no bread, no waffles and no pancake mix. Those are all staples in my home. By unanimous vote, we ordered sushi for dinner.
All of my kids love "sushi". The youngest two get plain rice maki, and the oldest gets avocado maki. Nothing crazy - nothing raw or fishy. Back when I had more patience and time, we used to make sushi with the kids at home. I have learned that some things are easier to order.
During pregnancy, I loved sushi. Of course I ate nothing that was raw - terrified of toxoplasmosis! However, I probably ate sushi at least once a week. I also ate butter chicken regularly, any kind of curry, and pad thai. I introduced all of my children to pad thai, butter chicken, and avocado rolls before their first birthdays. Now I have kids who would often rather order sushi than pizza, and a son who takes left over butter chicken to school in a thermos.
I love being able to get great ethnic food anywhere in Toronto. To me it is one of the amazing benefits of living in a multicultural city, and my kids are encourage to at least try things (calamari was not a big hit.) Daughter can still be convinced that most things are chicken.
When I was growing up, spaghetti and meat balls, or other Italian foods, were about as ethnic as we got. On a trip to France when I was 16, we went to a restaurant ordered steak tartar. When it arrived it was sent back to be cooked. In university I remember ordering eggplant parmigiana and thinking myself cultured.
I think trying different foods is exciting and fun, and a great thing to do with your kids. You never know what they may end up loving. Deep fried chicken butts anyone?
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Dirty Pants Day
Published April 11, 2009 @ 21:05 in Around the House, Being Mommy
Today I sunk to a new low. I wasn't sure when I last did laundry, but I was pretty sure that Son Two had worn his last clean pair for the past two days. I didn't think that I could stretch them for a third.
As we rushed out the door this morning, Husband was getting him dressed. Son Two walked down stairs in his pajama pants. Not acceptable.
I rifled through the hampers, and came up with a navy pair that didn't look too dirty and put them on him.
Tonight I decided I need to get on top of laundry. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, and I wanted him wearing a clean pair of pants to my sister's for Easter dinner. It is always nice to look presentable for holidays.
I emptied all of the hampers and came up with only two pairs of Son Two's pants. Huh? Where could all of his pants be? I am sure that he has more than three pairs of pants (two in the hampers, plus the one I pulled from the hamper that he is still wearing.)
Grabbing some of Son One's and daughter's pants, and my only pair of jeans, I had a full load. After 40 minutes, I went to transfer the pants to the dryer.
Aha! The dryer was full of clean, dry pants belonging to all of the males in the house. I have no idea how long they have been in their, but Son Two had at least three clean pairs.
Next I just need to do a load of socks and underwear, and we could be set for the week.
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And now we have fleas...
Published April 1, 2009 @ 11:36 in Around the House
Damn cat. Damn, damn cat.
I thought that we started flea treatment in April. But last week Son One noticed a weird bite. A few days later I swear I saw something hop from where the cat was sleeping.
I treated Merlin with his Advantage. First bad allergies and asthma (I actually get hives regularly) now fleas. It is time to get rid of the cat. It is the rif-raf he is associating with; this morning I saw one of his "friends" hanging out on the front porch when I went to take out the green bin and recycling. She had skank written all over her (or she may just have been wet from the rain. Am I being too harsh?)
Merlin will be 13 years-old later this month. He looks pretty good for his age, but I have already promised the allergist that he will not be replaced. I love him, and he really is a super sweet cat. He is nice to the kids, and very affectionate. I just don't like the fleas.
This is Merlin, currently sleeping under my bed. The bed is stripped, the mattress has been Lysoled, and the sheets are in a hot wash with an extra rinse. If it isn't the plague, then it's fleas. What else do I have to look forward to?
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Cat Vomit ruined my socks!
Published March 27, 2009 @ 09:28 in Around the House
Husband went into work early today, so that he could come home earlier. He has been working very late this week, coming home long after we are all asleep.
This meant that I had to get everyone up, feed, dressed and out the door, while making lunches and packing bags. Not a big deal, I do it by myself every second week.
This morning, however, I had an unexpected hiccup - cat vomit.
Why do cats do this? I know Merlin is getting old, but do cats go crazy as they age? He came in this morning, meowing for his breakfast. I gave him a little food (he only eats dry). He ate it, then meowed for more. I gave him a little more, along with fresh water.
Three minutes later he threw up his entire breakfast. What is the point of eating if you are just going to throw it up? Can cats develop bulimia? He doesn't have a weight problem. Maybe he needs counseling.
Of course, as any who has a pet who vomits knows, I stepped in it. Damn! Now I had to clean my feet, as well as the floor, and get everyone out the door.
I can't decide what to do about the socks. I have them soaking for the laundry, but I am tempted to just throw them out. Really, it is not like they are my favourite socks. And though very experienced now with cleaning up some pretty nasty messes, it still sort of grosses me out.
The cat is now happily snoozing on my pillow.
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A plunger?
Published March 24, 2009 @ 14:42 in Around the House, Loving Daddy
Yesterday Husband came home with a gift for me. A plunger.
Yes. Definitely makes the list of least romantic gifts you could give a spouse. I walked into the house and saw it on the stairs, and Husband says, "I got you a plunger." Thanks.
Last year we renovated and got those new, wonderful low flow toilets. We also have three children, at least two of whom can be a little frivolous with toilet paper. Because of this, at least once a week, either the upstairs or the downstairs toilet needs to be plunged.
Before yesterday, you actually had to go up or down stairs to get the plunger. Now, thanks to thoughtful and efficient Husband, each bathroom has its own plunger. (I am not exactly sure how this is a gift for me.)
He also gave me a new dust pan and brush. I swooned appropriately.
BTW - Did you know that TP is not recession proof? We knew that sales of kleenex often went down when times were tough, but sales of TP were actually down about 5.5% over last quarter.
In our house we really don't consider toilet paper a discretionary spend.
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Laundry
Published March 21, 2009 @ 18:45 in Around the House, Being Mommy
Anyone who knows me at all, knows how much I loathe laundry.
Here are the reasons I hate it:
1) It is never done. Even if you search the entire house, do load after load, everyone gets undressed for bed and you have another pile to sort, wash, dry, fold and put away. It is endless!
2) I am bad at it. Really, I have no laundry skills to speak of. I wash clothes with lots of stuff in the pockets (kleenex is the worst, but I've washed screws, money and toys); I ruin kids t-shirts because I wash them with stickers still on, and I lose socks.
3) I have to go to the basement. I often thought if I had a laundry room on the second floor it wouldn't be so bad. But I have to walk it down two flights of stairs, and then back up again. And if your house is anything like mine, you know that there can be obstacles on the stairs not easily visible when carrying a full laundry basket.
4) Folding. I have never worked at the Gap, and never will. I could be good at folding if I was really anal about it. But I am not. It takes too long. And I don't care that much.
5) Rewashing clothes SUCKS! The kids take something out, decide not to wear it, then throw it in the hamper. I don't know, and wash it all again. This adds to my laundry bulk.
6) Sports uniforms. Try to find the right socks, jersey, ballet tights, and leotards clean on the right day, especially when you never know where they toss the uniforms when they take them off. Last summer I found Son One's T-ball uniform under my daughter's bed.
7) Socks. I always have dozens of extra socks that don't match one another. Husband has started a sock drawer - a drawer full of single socks. Once a quarter we empty this out and match them; the kids help. Unfortunately, because the hampers are never completely empty, we never get rid of the singles.
8) Daughter changes her clothes at least three times a day. And her potty training isn't perfect, but she insists on sleeping in underwear. These are bonus loads.
I can't figure out what my real issue is. Do we have too much clothing? Today's Parent recommends only doing laundry one or two days a week, so it doesn't feel like you are always doing it.
Really? We generate approximately 12 loads of laundry per week (some weeks 14). Even if I did laundry two days a week, that is still 6 loads each day!
In reality I do somewhere in the neighbourhood of 8 loads a week. This puts me 4 loads behind, or 16 loads a month that I have to make up. (I can do math, just not laundry.)
Husband used to do all of the laundry when we first lived together. This was because he worked weird hours, so when he was off, the laundry room at our apartment was usually empty. He used to go down with all of our laundry, load up all four machines, and be done in a few hours. For fun he would even take the stairs!
That was when there were two of us - and we dry-cleaned most of the work clothes. Now I don't work and I have children who wipe snot, dirty hands and faces on me. And we have three children who insist on wearing clothes (not a nudist in the bunch). Every now and then I find a load of Husband's socks, underwear and undershirts in the dryer - thanks for the help, honey!
I shouldn't complain. There are lots of people in the world who don't even have clothes, or washing machines.
Maybe we should move somewhere hot. Or to a nudist resort.
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Don't eat that!
Published March 12, 2009 @ 16:16 in Amazing Kids, Around the House
Daughter stood in the kitchen, in her adorable ballet outfit and asked, "Am I wearing a diaper?"
Before I could say no, she peed all over the floor.
I am getting really tired of her lazy potty training ways. Some days she is great, others, she wants to wear a diaper. I don't want to fight her on it, lest I scar her for life. But it is getting ridiculous. She usually is good at peeing on the potty, but only poos once every few weeks. This morning she actually stuck her hand into her dirty diaper to "check." I made Husband clean up that one.
Took her upstairs, quick bath and change. Wiped up the pee in the kitchen. Put her clothes into the washing machine. Came back to the kitchen to wash the floor.
Son Two opened the refrigerator, and out feel his opened Twix Chocolate Bar to the floor, right where daughter had just peed.
"Don't eat that!" I yelled.
Hey - I have some standards. He was upset - he had been saving that half since Sunday. But you can't wash off a chocolate bar; I've tried.
The Pretty Princess
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I am not CRAZY!!!
Published February 26, 2009 @ 08:36 in Around the House, Being Mommy
After driving myself mad over this iPod, Son Two just admitted that he had found it when I had left it on the computer, and put it away somewhere. Maybe upstairs, maybe downstairs. He doesn't remember.
But at least I am not crazy. While this expanded my search area to the entire house, it also cut it in half height-wise.
While getting the boys dressed, Son Two reached into his sock drawer. The drawer was almost empty, due to his thorough packing.
And there sat the iPod. Right in the middle.
Both sons are currently taking credit for the find.
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We live in a real house...
Published February 23, 2009 @ 20:08 in Around the House
I was thinking of cleaning up the kitchen, but then thought - it will just get dirty tomorrow.
I used to envy those people with spotless homes. Then I realized that when you have children, unless you have child care and housekeeping help, it is really an impossibility. So you live with it! Every two weeks the cleaning lady comes, changes the beds, vacuums, does the bathrooms and the kitchen. This is enough to ensure that while we sometimes live in a mess, it is not "dirty."
Husband used to be the housekeeper. He did laundry, dishes, cleaned the bathroom and vacuumed. (Yes, Honey, I know you did the laundry and cleaned the kitchen today. Thank you! I love you!) But the more children we had, the less time we had to keep the house clean. And to be honest, our tolerance of mess increased.
In reality, we would both rather spend time with kids then cleaning. We have realized over the years how quickly they grow up, and while there may actually be clothes on the floor and dishes in the sink until they move out, who really cares? And if someone really cared about our house instead of us, well, no need to visit!
Real life isn't always perfect and neat. I think it helps the kids have a realistic view of life - real people don't have someone else to do everything for them; either you do it yourself, or it doesn't get done.
Sure, we have a cleaning lady. If we didn't live in our house, it would look great. Unfortunately, within an hour of her leaving, you can't tell that she was here. It doesn't help that we live in one of these wonderful old Toronto homes with ZERO storage. And kids just have so much stuff!
Our living room is full of hockey equipment "airing" out. At least Husband keeps his in the garage, but the boys stuff is in the living room. I asked once about keeping it in the laundry room between games, but Husband explained that he doesn't want the boys dragging their bags down the stairs and knocking the walls. Good point.
The kids are learning to help, but they could do more. Every now and then to "motivate" them I threaten to follow up their cleaning efforts with a garbage bag. Sometimes Husband actually does when they are in school. (Shhh - that's a secret!)
One day I will have a neat home. But it is not today. Probably not tomorrow either. Give me about 18 years.
If you want to visit our house, please come every second week after our cleaning lady has been here. If you want to visit us, please come anytime. Just ignore the mess.
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Paint - caught red handed
Published February 19, 2009 @ 11:03 in Around the House, Kids Activities, Loving Daddy
Last night I came home to find my husband snoozing on the couch, but the kids painting at the kitchen table. OK - you know who gets to clean this one up.
They were all pretty enthusiastic, and I think they made at least three of four paintings each. When I walked over to one side the table to admire them, I noticed red footprints on the floor.
"Stop!" I said, "Let me look at your feet." They all complied. The boys were wearing socks - no red there. Daughter was barefoot. She had paint on her nightgown, her arms, and her face. But her feet seemed clean. However, I kept her in mind as the number one suspect. Husband suspected me, and as my socks were black, I wasn't 100% sure he was wrong. I took them off.
Down on my hands and knees, I scrubbed away the prints. I also cleaned a suspicious looking smear off of one of the chairs.
Husband came into the kitchen and noticed more prints. We cleaned those up. Now it was time to put the paints away and get the kids to bed. STILL MORE PRINTS!
This was getting weird.
We kept cleaning, and footprints kept appearing. Son One thought it was funny, but I was sort of getting a little freaked out. Were we haunted? By a frustrated painter?
Finally, husband, the detective that he is, cracked the case. He found a print over by the cat bowls. See - you knew we had three kids, but I have never before mentioned Merlin, our 11 year-old black male domestic long-hair.
Husband scooped Merlin up and checked his paws. Sure enough, one of the back ones had red paint. Caught - red pawed! Now if we could just convince Merlin to take a bath.
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My turn as the good guy
Published February 18, 2009 @ 15:59 in Around the House, Family and Friends, Loving Daddy
Son One is out in the car. Apparently he is angry with his father. I am surprisingly OK with that, given that it is usually me who faces the wrath of our children.
This year I have decided to be easier on my kids, and try to be more fun. Daddy is always the fun one, but I am realizing how quickly they grow up, and how little certain things matter. Like laundry. A clean house. And well planned playdates.
I used to organize playdates weeks in advance, and ensure that the house was very respectable looking before anyone stepped inside. Then I realized that we were never going to have anyone over if I had to clean the house first. Most kids don't judge you by the neatness of your home, and I've realized that my real friends come to see me, not my house.
Along with scheduling our kids for less, I have been more easy going about playdates. You want to take my child home after school? Sure - just let me know when I need to pick him up! At our house we are developing a more open door policy as well. I want my children's friends to feel welcome and comfortable coming here - more casual, less of a production.
Yesterday after school, one of Son One's friends asked if he could come over. Instead of saying, "no" or "I'll call you mom and plan something for anther day" I said, "Fine, just check with your parents first." He stayed for dinner, they played inside and out, and then I walked him home. It was nice!
This morning Son One asked if another friend could come over. Sure, if it is OK with his parents, I answered. This friend used to be in my son's class; but this year they were separated and miss each other. Unfortunately his father picked him up from school.
For some reason my husband defers playdate decisions to me. He could have called me on my cell to check, if he really wanted to check. But instead he said, "no."
Son One is sitting in the car still. I just waved him and offered a bowl of popcorn. Secretly, I smile. It is nice to be the good guy every now and then.
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Happy Family Day!
Published February 16, 2009 @ 10:03 in Around the House
What is this holiday, Family Day, you ask? Well, here is the information from the Ontario Ministry of Labour website:
There is nothing more valuable to families than time together. And yet it seems tougher than ever to find, with so many of us living such busy lives. That's why, on the third Monday of every February Ontarians will have a public holiday--Family Day.
With the addition of the new Family Day, under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) the minimum number of public holidays in Ontario has increased from 8 to 9. For information on who is, and is not covered by the ESA public holiday provisions, please refer to the Family Day Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
Family Day gives Ontario employees who are covered by the ESA and their families a total of nine public holidays per year, putting the province on par with Alberta and British Columbia.
Hmmm... so now we are on par with those slackers in the west. (just kidding - I love BC and Alberta). Thank you Premier McGuinty.
On CablePulse24 I heard that 1/3 of us don't get Family Day off - unsure if that is Ontario or City of Toronto (thanks again for the detailed and accurate reporting, City!)
Whatever you do today, enjoy your family. Our plans are to visit with cousins we haven't seen in a while, then when Husband returns from work he will take the kids skating.
Happy Family Day!
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We Love Sleep
Published February 16, 2009 @ 08:48 in Around the House
It is 9 am on family day, and we are just getting up. Well, some of us are. Son Two is still blissfully slumbering away.
Before kids, I liked my sleep. In fact, I would say that it was the hardest adjustment husband and I had to make when we had children. Lack of sleep was so hard on husband, that after each child he had some strange illness (scarlet fever? really come on! Who gets that?)
Husband did have a little easier time than me. He grew up on a farm, so often before breakfast was served he would have a few hours of chores. He learned to nap - short naps, anytime, anywhere. As an adult he took a job with shift work. Husband still naps anytime, anywhere. Actually, it used to really bother me. He would sneak away and I would find him sleeping somewhere.
I fell in love with sleep relatively late in life. In university I actually came up with a sleep rule for myself - I had to be awake every day for at least 12 hours. Except weekends. I could be in pajamas; I could even stay in bed all day. If I didn't wake up until 10:00 am, then I couldn't go to bed until 10:00 pm.
Then I met my husband, who introduced me to napping in the afternoon. Our first apartment had these blackout blinds, so it was like a cave anytime of day. One of our first purchases when we moved into our house was to get blackout blinds for our bedroom. Really, we are like bears hibernating. This winter we added a new fuzzy blanket to our bed, and now I never want to leave.
The good news is that our love of sleep has been passed down to the next generation. My kids never leave their beds at night unless their are sick. Daughter is the first one awake, and never before 7:00 am. This morning she woke at 8:13. Son One is the normally the latest sleeper. There are days where we are pushing him out of bed at 8:34 to try to get him to school for 9:00 am. And it will definitely cut his hockey career short when they start adding early morning practices.
But for now we take all the sleep we can get. We love sleep.
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Poop on the floor - Yucky!
Published February 11, 2009 @ 19:36 in Amazing Kids, Around the House
Today is a day for grossness; something I didn't really appreciate before I had kids. I used to find gross stuff - well - gross! Now I find it funny.
We are having some potty training issues with the daughter. She has been able to pee in the potty for so long I forget when she started. She has pooed in the potty 4 times. She will either ask for a diaper, which isn't so bad, or poo in her underwear, which isn't a lot of fun to clean up. We have actually thrown out a few pairs, hoping that it would encourage her not to do it.
Today she sat on the potty waiting to poo. Here is our conversation.
"I hate poo." (said the daughter, just in case you weren't sure)
"Everybody poos." (Me - the trying really hard to be patient and supportive mother)
"Everybody?"
"Yes. Everybody."
"Does Daddy poo?"
"Yes, Daddy poos."
"Do cats poo?"
"Yes. Cats poo." (says the woman who cleans out the litter box)
"Do birds poo?"
"Yes, bird poo, too. Everybody poos." (patience wearing thin.)
"I hate poo. It not coming out."
"We can wait for it. Everybody needs to poo. It is healthy." (trying not make "poo" bad - don't want it to be "negative" for her.)
"Poo on the floor is yucky."
"Yes, poo on the floor is very yucky. Please don't ever poo on the floor." (OK, where did the idea of poo on the floor come from? Should I be checking around the house?)
"Poo on the potty isn't yucky."
"No, it isn't."
"Poo on the floor is yucky."
Mommy has now completely lost her patience. Daughter is being removed from the potty and placed in a pull-up. I am sure my coffee is cold. And I just wasted 15 minutes of my life that I am never going to get back talking about poo.
Really the joke is on you - you had to read about it!
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I picked up the fork.
Published February 9, 2009 @ 09:34 in Around the House, Loving Daddy
This morning I was walking up the stairs with the breakfast dishes when I dropped a fork. I thought about leaving it on the stairs and picking it up later, but then I remembered last time I left a fork on the stairs.
The year was 2006. I had a 4 month old in my arms, and I was walking upstairs to change her. I noticed a fork, tines pointed up, on our hardwood stairs. I made a mental note to pick it up after I had changed the baby.
About a minute later I heard the loudest, "F@%K!!!!!" every. My husband had followed me up the stairs carrying a basket of laundry.
The fork actually stuck into the bottom of this foot, and came out the side. My husband is a tough guy. He sat down on the stairs swearing. The boys came running. It looked bad - really weird and scary, but sort of funny, too. He exhaled sharply a few times, grabbed the handle and yanked the fork out with a loud, "Ugh!"
There was surprising little blood for such an injury. He could wiggle all of he toes, so he seemed OK.
As he limped up the stairs, I couldn't help it. I started giggling. And then I laughed. I couldn't stop. The tears were coming down my cheeks. I am not sure why I laughed. I think it was because I had seen the fork there and not moved it. I felt guilty, but it also looked so terrible. If he had really been hurt, I wouldn't have found it amusing at all.
My laughing could have ended our marriage. That, and the fact that I had seen the fork there and left it there. Luckily my husband is a forgiving man.
I saw the fork lying on the stairs this morning, and I thought to myself, "What would Jesus do?" The answer came quickly. He would pick up the fork.
I picked up the fork.
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Super Mom!
Published February 2, 2009 @ 13:32 in Around the House
Today I am super mom.
I did the usual - lunches, snacks, everyone breakfasted, dressed and to school on time, complete with homework and notes for teachers. I picked Son Two up from school, made different lunches for each child, did speech homework, resolved two minor conflicts, and checked the mail.
I also grocery shopped for myself and my grandmother (remembered my reusable bags for the first time in 2009), made homemade chicken noodle soup, muffins, and mars bars. I've packed a hockey bag, prepared individual snack bags for all kids I am transporting to the game. Cleaned the kitchen, emptied and reloaded the dishwasher, sorted garbage, green bin and recycling.
All this before 1:30 pm. This could not have been accomplished by a mere mortal...
...now I just need to shower and get myself dressed!
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Kids in the Bath
Published February 2, 2009 @ 07:56 in Around the House
Last night I insisted the kids have a bath to start the week off clean. I tried to insist that they have a bath Sunday afternoon so that they would be clean for their birthday parties, but the weather was so nice they all wanted to play outside.
I never got into the bath every night routine. Mostly because my kids all love LONG baths. They play until the water is cold and the bubbles are gone. Last night we started the bath at 6:00 pm.
Daughter still had stamps on her arms from Thursday's dance class, so I knew it had been a few days since I had gotten her clean. She HATES having her hair washed, so it adds extra joy to bath time.
I had the two youngest in the bath, and I left to go and throw their dirty clothes in the hamper. When I returned the shower curtain was drawn. I peeked around and was informed that they wanted "privacy" to play "doctor".
Take a deep breath. Count to three. Try to remember what Today's Parent said about this. Completely normal. Don't make a big deal. Privates are private. Maybe at 5 and 3 brother and sister are getting too old to bathe together. Stay calm.
Peeking again, I noticed the two with their heads bent over the wash puppets floating on my bath pillow.
"What are you guys going?"
"Operating on the mommy frog. We are taking the baby out of her belly. Now the baby needs milk."
Oh. So they are pretending to be surgeons. YEAH!
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Eat your... VITAMIN!
Published January 29, 2009 @ 09:19 in Around the House
I am officially admitting it. I have a daughter who hasn't eaten a vegetable in the past year.
OK, so she does eat french fries, corn on the cob, and tomato sauce on her pizza.
At her last check-up, I asked the paediatrician about a vitamin supplement. She is growing, drinks her milk, eats lots of protein and carbohydrates. But I can't get fruits and vegetables into her most days. The doctor said I could give her a daily multivitamin supplement.
The pharmacist recommended a gummi one. Just like a Gummi Bear, but with a definite weird after taste. The first day she ate it without complaint. The next day she didn't want one, so I gave her a choice - a carrot, or a vitamin. She chose the carrot then walked around with a chewed-up carrot stuck in her cheek all morning.
I like fruits and vegetables. We always have a cornucopia of fresh produce on hand, and I try to give the kids lots of options. Maybe she'll grow into liking them. I don't want to make meal time into a war, so I try not to get too upset.
But until she starts eating better, I have to say everyone morning... "EAT YOUR VITAMIN!"
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