lesson learned

*leave all permanent markers out of reach
*employ another (husband) to scrub surfaces if you're too angry to think
*"Off-Skintastic" takes marker off of the fridge, washer, dryer, dishwasher, and oven, but not the cupboard
*VIM works on the wood cupboards
*Sunlight detergent and a dish-brush gets marker out of curtain fabric

more lessons learned...

*U-Haul is not a dependable company
*thinking bitterly that you'll probably have to drive to S.E. Calgary to pick up your U-Haul will bring bad fortune: as a penance, the only truck available for pick-up is located in Stettler; a mere 500km round-trip excursion. like it or lump it: there are other people without a truck who are willing to drive and pick up this coveted truck.

separation is over!

Break out the bubbly... Dan made it home yesterday and is now with us for the long haul up to Edmonton. No more days apart. Doing it all myself is finally over. A second set of hands to help with the zillion things that need doing. Sweet, sweet, sweet.

ecstasy

My neighbour let Natty play at her house all morning (9am-12pm!) with her grade 3 & 5 kids. Sweet marie. The amount of work I accomplished this morning is staggering. Bless him, but my little helper isn't condusive to productive moments. Luckily Isaac just crawls around wherever I'm packing and isn't a helper like Natty is. And the best part? He has a standing invitation to go back, and a playdate is set up for the morning. : ) Heavenly.

Losing my mind.

Today I:

*grilled a grilled cheese sans cheese
*lost Isaac's (life-giving) soother and clip and had to go buy a new one
*gave many time-outs
*packed 15 boxes
*stuffed and mailed all our Christmas cards (insanity at its prime)
*forgot to eat supper (fed boys...no worries; even if it was Dora canned noodles)
*heard the words "yucky" and "no" more times than I care to count
*exemplified super-mom status and let Natty watch his "Piggy-the-Pooh" movie
*took Natty (& Isaac) to the doctor for his allergy blood test (he was so brave)
*turned every room into a disaster zone with more "packing"
*got both boys bathed and to bed.

Phew.

I'm going to eat. And watch an hour of TV. Four more packing days.
Deadlines be damned.

No kids ears allowed.

Make sure your little darlings are far, far, far away. This, my friends, if you haven't had the pleasure of watching before, is "Curb Your Enthusiasm." It's an HBO show starring Larry David, the creator of Seinfeld. It is the other show that is tied for my #1 favourite show (Arrested Development being the other, as previously mentioned.) It's crude, yes. Very crude. Delightfully crude. Apologies if you are offended, but damn it... it's damn funny. If you need any reminders after you view this video of what is appropriate or not, please refresh yourself with this practical entry on cursing.

Bits of us

There go more bits and pieces into boxes. Boxes and boxes and boxes. Never-ending boxes. Our whole lives packed neatly. Packed securely. Packed with love, though haste. Is it that easy to piece us away? Ship us away? Be done with life as we know it? Will it (we) all arrive in one piece? Now there's the million-dollar question. Time will tell. Did the packing hold the pieces together? Did time unravel us? Break us into non-recognizable pieces? Be careful. More tape. More wrap. More boxes.

Well, maybe not this bad...

Chaos.

I think I can honestly say that I had one of my worst mornings ever with the boys. I had this great idea to go into the city to have the boys craft up a little special somethin'-somethin' for their Dad's Christmas present at a special somethin'-somethin' place. (I have to be vague as there's the off-chance he might read this!) Reasons it didn't go well include: Isaac crying and angry screaming almost the entire time; Natty wanting to do everything himself and making mess after mess; Natty not listening to anything that I was saying and actually screaming (very loudly) in the full workshop; things being thrown all over the floor by Natty and Isaac; hands coming repeatedly dangerously close to shelves upon shelves of breakables; Natty crying; Natty throwing his body on all over the floor in the shop in a tantrum; Natty hitting... you can see how this went. But damn it, I drove into the city to get this done, and we weren't leaving without a finished gift. I just sure hope that when I look at the gift in years to come it won't trigger frustration and anger in my mind. Boy oh boys.

Lid, Lid in my hands...

Who's the fairest in the land?

how embarrassing.

Two simultaneous video links playing at the same time on that previous post-gone-bad. Sorry to all who tried to figure it out. Silly computer. Silly me.

But here's something exciting! I bought a new book called "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards, which is endorsed by Jodi Picoult AND Sue Monk Kidd! Two of my favourite writers; if I can't trust them, who can I trust?

I feel so hopeful and giddy just before I start a new book. I've even prolonged starting it, just so the feeling would last. Ah, let's hear it for delayed gratification and all the dysfunction that surrounds it.

in tandem, no less

As I sat down at the computer, both boys started hacking simultaneously. I wonder if they are linked somehow. Something big. Something unexplainable or mysterious. Or maybe it's just that they've both had colds now since October 18th with no end in sight. Twenty-one days of rivers of snot, hacking nights, and slightly "off" behaviours. 21? That seems somewhat obscene and alarming. Maybe it's time to go to the doctor again. I always fear that I look like a pansy mother who just can't handle a common cold, who rushes their child in at the first sniffle. And I hate being told in that slightly condescending and patronizing way (even when I'm sure it's something *big* this time) that I just have to wait it out. But I guess I more so fear being told, "Why the hell didn't you come in earlier?! This could have been prevented if you just acted more responsible." Ok. I'll call in the morning.

In a nice, long, juicy phone call tonight with my "no holds barred" friend (and another tip of my hat to you, my friend, for the all-out purging), I came to realize that I am absolutely stressed out to the nth-degree, but am damn good at repressing a whole bunch of things for extended periods of time.

Must work on that. Later. Much later.

On an underlying related note: 22 days, 12 hours, and 52 minutes until we get possession of our new home.

laughter's good for the soul

Have I ever mentioned to you that Arrested Development is tied for my favourite show ever? If you haven't seen it, I strongly recommend going to the video store and renting it all, starting (of course) with the first season. I come dangerously close to peeing myself from laughing every time I watch an episode. You will not be disappointed. : )



Ok. One more.

ahhhhhh. all sorts.

Finally bought a bag from the bulk isle at Safeway. I couldn't get them out of my mind no matter how hard I tried. It's a fine assortment, if I do say so. I even got to pick out all the solid black licorice pieces. Pure bliss. It doesn't take much. : )

post-pregnant feature sheet

I was thinking about it over the past few days (not too sure how it all got started in my mind), and I have realized that this poor bod of mine has really taken "a few for the team" in housing and growing two human beings. Here is a list of what is no longer the same as it used to be:

*my once thick hair is now fine and flimsy
*I lose my hair by the handfuls
*I actually sweat (honest: I never did before)
*my nails are brittle and are always breaking and flaking
*my fingers will hurt and tingle if I repeat an action too long
(i.e. holding a spoon to feed Isaac or writing with a pen)
*I get cramps (again: a new experience)
*I have a shorter memory and temper

Of course, it almost goes without saying, but I will anyway, that "it is all worth it" (of course, of course...). But still. What about you?

All Hail, All Sorts.

1 kilogram.

KI-LO-GRAM.

2.205 pounds.

You'd think that would last me a good week or so.

You'd *think.*

***Thursday, 12:48pm: SOLD OUT. Probably for the best.***

I love a good deal.

Somehow this site found me. It sells a bit of everything. It's Canadian. Prices on toys are really good (all 30% off), but the best part is... shopping from home, and all the shipping is absolutely FREE. It's their Christmas special. Not bad. Not bad at all. Go take a gander.

http://www.ecozyshop.com/
(sorry, I'm on a mac--no hyperlink capabilities for me.)