Dec 31

I think I’m the only person on the internet who really likes this time after Christmas!  Everyone is posting about the post-Christmas blues. Wah wah wah, the holidays are over, the excitement gone, there are too many presents and not enough space, and everyone is so very, very sad and depressed. And fat.

What’s wrong with everyone?

I love the days following Christmas. Especially when we’re still on holidays (as in this year).  There are fun new games to play, new clothes to wear, new books to read and movies to watch and a few lazy, relaxing days in which to do all those things.  There is shopping to be done, goodies to enjoy, the beautiful, soft light of the Christmas tree, friends to visit with, a few more days of listening to Christmas carols and very little to keep me from spending 23 hours a day with my computer.  Other than tasty Christmas treats!

So maybe I’m alone in this, but I am enjoying myself. And, unlike my husband, I am not really worried about us getting the thousand pounds of toys the kids got for Christmas home in the luggage we brought with us.

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We got out to see a movie last night.  Unfortunately, we wasted our first movie in six months on I am Legend. Lesson of the day?  If the movie is categorized as SciFi/Horror, BELIEVE IT!  Totally a zombie movie. Which is fine if you like zombie movies.  I spent the whole two hours with my jacket wrapped around my head.  It is sad because there were some interesting paths that the story could have taken and there was a lot more I would have liked to know.  But apparently the writers thought that drooling, rabid, semi-humans hurling themselves at the screen was closer to entertainment than a plot without a dozen holes the size a minivan.  Nonetheless, the few minutes where a shirtless Will Smith did chin-ups made it worth two hours of wasted time.  Mmmmm!

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And, for the chuckle of the day, my mom remarked today that it would be so helpful if there was some kind of list somewhere of all the things you could find on the internet.  “You mean, like, Google?” was my helpful wisecrack. Because I am a jackass sensitive like that.

Really, I don’t mean to make fun of her because I understand what she meant.  A list of subjects that she could randomly scroll through for fun. Because she reads the phone book when she visits different cities. And her idea of fun is…unique.

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Finally, since it’s New Year’s Eve and everyone’s talking about their plans, mine are to sit in the hot tub with the hubby, have a drink or two, watch a movie and remember that 2008, like 2007 is going to be full of changes for our family.  Then I’ll probably hyperventilate for a while and pass out long before midnight.  Happy New Year everyone! I’m honoured that you drop by every now and then and I hope to see more of all of you in 2008!

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Oh, and since my daughter just threw up in her bed, I can look forward to more fun-and-puke-filled times in the New Year! It’s a comfort to know some things won’t be changing.

Dec 29

I’m blatantly stealing these pictures from my husband’s collection from his recent trip to China because he’ll never get around to blogging them (he averages a post every six months) and they are too funny to keep hidden on our hard drive.  It’s funny how much our cultural upbringing affects our interpretation of pictures.

For example…


When pursued by flames don’t forget to look at the floor.


Press button for flames.


Caution! Radioactive children at play.


(If you can’t read it, the sign says “Beijing First Experimental Primary School”)
Where every time the bell rings some children receive an electric shock while others are thrown a treat.  Scientists observe through one way glass.  Findings are reported to scientific journals around the world.


A sign that you and your roommate are going to be getting to know each other much better tonight. This is supposed to be a room with two single beds. Apparently someone forgot to inform the queen-sized bed!


The captions read: 1) Place hands under vent  2) Collect bacon.
This one is actually from North America. In a bathroom on the Western Campus. Because my husband is the kind of man who isn’t afraid to whip out his camera phone in a bathroom.   But it fits with the theme here.

Dec 29

In response to a question, her daddy emphatically says “HELLS no!”

Avery pipes up with her own “Hells NO!”, giggles, and repeats several times before we can settle her down and explain how very INAPPROPRIATE that statement was.

Not exactly a parent-of-the-year moment. :)

Dec 28

My hubby picked up some pretty, shiny things for me in China.  I love getting jewelry, so the excitement of getting three beautiful pearl necklaces in one morning just about sent me into a coma!

Exhibit #1:

Exhibit #2:

Exhibit #3:

And, my favourite, exhibit #4 (don’t they look pretty together???):

I also got the game Mah Jong, which is really popular in China.  I think the box is really pretty and the pieces are really neat. I have no idea how to play. We haven’t sat down and tried to figure it out yet.  Possibly because, although Colin is “technically” on holidays from school, there is really no such thing.  Holidays just means they don’t need to come into school.  It does not, however, mean there will not be fifteen essays, two hundred and forty-seven textbooks to read and tonnes of work to do on the job-search front.  Who was I kidding? We aren’t going to have a real holiday for years. Boo.

Dec 27

High: We were all healthy when it came time to fly to Manitoba! (Our own Christmas miracle!)

Low: A one hour delay when waiting to fly out of London when we had already arrived at the airport far earlier than was really necessary.

High: A group of about 4 or 5 families with young children congregating in a corner play area in the waiting area in the airport. We traded destinations (many were on our flight) and stories and someone pulled out a coloring book and someone else had some paper and almost all of us had some crayons in our purses/diaper bags and before we knew it about half a dozen children were lying on the floor coloring quietly. It didn’t last that long. But for a moment we all sighed with contentment. Then Kieran plopped himself down in the lap of one of the fathers who was sitting on the floor with the kids. He was obviously suffering from a testosterone deficiency while his daddy has been away.

Low: Flying to Manitoba with an 18 month old who, despite being completely exhausted, would not fall asleep.

High: A very kind lady sitting next to us (the plane was full so no special allowances for parents with small children to get an extra empty seat) who was so good with Kieran. She helped me distract him every time he got fussy and was so kind and friendly that, by the end of the flight, he was sitting on her lap instead of mine! Dear Anonymous Angel, you made my day!

Low: A reeeeally crappy first night in Manitoba. As in one child or the other waking up every hour. all. night.

High: Going to pick up my long lost husband at the airport the next morning. A very happy reunion! And the shriek of pure joy when Kieran first saw him.

Low: Figuring out that the itch and irritation in my eye (and then later, eyes) is pink eye. On Christmas eve. With no hope to see a doctor til at least Boxing Day.

High: Having my hubby here with me.

Low: Driving my parents’ car into the ditch on the way to the Christmas Eve service at church. Being totally stuck. Having to go home and call CAA and miss the church service where my mom was leading the choir.

High: CAA came really fast. The car was totally fine. We stopped a few feet short of the sign post instead of hitting it. And we had a relaxing evening at home. Followed by our traditional Christmas Eve feast of all kinds of delicious and fattening treats when the family got home from church.

Low: Hubby has jetlag. Hubby does not want to admit he is suffering from jetlag.

High: Found an open walk-in clinic on Boxing Day and got a prescription for antibiotic eye-drops for my eyes which were so red they were starting to make me look like the Devil’s spawn.

Low: Being told not to wear eye make up until this clears up. As if!

High: Sitting in the hot tub every evening. Sometimes in the morning, too.

Low: I’m running out of lows.

High: Lots of naps, parents and siblings to help with the kids. Anticipating a couple of date nights and friends who will be here from Saskatoon for us to visit. And have I mentioned there is a HOT TUB here? :)

Low: Only another week and a half left!

Dec 22

Tonight was a “Mother of the Year” moment.  One of those days.  It’s been a long ten days and the kids and I are both missing their daddy.  Tomorrow we fly to Manitoba for Christmas holidays and it’s a good thing. Because I cannot promise these children would survive another day at home with me.

At dinner I was determined to win the meal-time battle with Kieran. He continues to test my patience by consuming only bananas and cheese.  Really. I can put other foods on his plate but he will pick out the foods he deems consumable and use the rest as a medium for works of art.  We’ve fought over ever meal this week. So today I tempted his palate with a delicious home-cooked meal let him scream over the fact that the food on his plate was so NOT cheese and then I shoved spoonfuls of food in his piehole whenever he opened his mouth wide enough.  I tried breaking off small pieces of cheese and putting them on the spoon with the mashed potatoes.  The result? Weeping and gnashing of teeth and howling, because clearly this is a violation of everything holy.  The cheese must not be mixed with other foods!  Is nothing sacred???  The tantrum ranked up there with the epic hysterics unleashed upon me when I put the soup in the sippy cup. The wailing went on and on and I was afraid he would choke or inhale the food in his mouth. But not afraid enough to stop trying to get him to eat.

Is this something that happens to us when we become mothers?  We’d rather set ourselves on fire than let our kids not eat a meal.   Maybe it’s just me.  So after an hour of fighting I told him he could just go without supper and I don’t give a damn gave him a banana.

Kieran: 1, Mom: 0. Thank sweet baby Jesus that, as of tomorrow, I will have some backup again!

Dec 21

Um, I just have to let all my dear comrades out in the frigid prairies know that the forecast in London tomorrow, DECEMBER 21st, is NINE DEGREES CELSIUS!

Saskatchewan can kiss my suntanned ass! Ha!

That is all.

Dec 21

 Avery knows a few words and phrases in French.  We try to encourage her to explore the language, although I only know a few words myself, so I’m not a lot of help.  We hope to put her in French immersion as soon as we are able.  So it was more than a little amusing when she was trying out some of her French vocabulary today and she burst out with:

“First I’ll say it in French and then I’ll say it the normal way.”

Atta girl! That should earn her the title of teacher’s pet in her first French immersion class real quick.  Hey teacher?  When are we going to wrap up the freaky-talk? 

Dec 20

Do you sometimes wish that your children could express just one desire without demanding or being reminded to ask nicely?  Do you wish they could calmly tell you what is wrong without wailing and howling like they were speared by a javelin?  Do you wish they wouldn’t follow you from room to room because, oh my goodness!  A kitchen! Who knew???  Do you wish they wouldn’t constantly walk in front you at a snail’s pace until you trip over them?  Do you wish they could, just once, not turn into a limp, weeping, puddle of ragdoll bemoaning their very existence in such a cruel, cruel world when you refuse to give them what they want?

Yeah. Me neither.

Dec 19

And just minutes after I posted about my woeful, pathetic life and my missing phone I found the AWOL electronic device.  As always happens with these things, it was in a place I had already looked.  However, I do still suspect the dwarf of being the one to wander the phone to it’s secret hiding place.  I’m just so relieved.  From now on the phone will be kept at a much higher altitude.

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