Here’s the thing: I think 2010 (and possibly the following couple of years) is going to be full of patience-trying obstacles and frustrating bureaucracy.  I’m trying to prepare myself because being ready for it takes away the initial sting if not the full ache.

And now I know some of you are totally scratching your heads and wondering what the hell I’m talking about. So here it is. 2010 is the year our family begins the journey of adoption. We have been discussing and planning for this for years.  We intended to start the process years ago but, as you know if you have been following me for a while, we started moving across the country, south to the states and there was no way for us to begin without being settled in a location for the foreseeable future. Well, now we are settled and have done our initial research in choosing a country and learning more about the process and we will be submitting our first application to the government in the next week or so. That is the beginning of the waiting.

The waiting is what I am both trying to prepare for and realizing there will be no preparing.  All you can do with waiting is try and distract yourself. But you still have to wait. You can expect to hear a lot about the waiting here.

I haven’t yet decided how much I am going to say about the process yet, or if I’m going to talk about the country we’ve chosen or other aspects of the journey. I may share all the details or only some. But I am really excited to finally be taking steps to bring a third child into our family and I wanted to post about it here.

And here are a few pictures from Christmas because I know everyone likes a little bling and I am not always good about posting pictures.

The tooth fairy FINALLY visited our house. Avery was thrilled!

And then the tooth fairy was back for a second tooth not long after. The tooth fairy is going to have to take out a line of credit. Avery is quickly learning that loosing teeth is a fairly lucrative business!

Avery’s look of horror upon opening the big box she thought contained a piano only to discover the wine glasses and umbrellas daddy had hidden inside.

The kids on Christmas Eve, dressed in their Christmas best. I love Kieran’s hat. My uncle called him Hinz Giesbrecht (a really menno sounding name) at our family gathering because he thought the hat was 100% old school German Mennonite. I still love it.

adoption, Christmas, waiting | 8 Comments »

Did I say I would post tomorrow? In my house tomorrow equals some time in the future which may or may not be the day following today. In this case tomorrow equals four days. I’m complicated. Get over it.

So I was going to tell you about how the hubby attempted to completely extinguish our daughter’s Christmas spirit on Christmas day. Here’s how it started: The hubby and I decided to buy each other an electric piano for Christmas this year. We’ve been putting off buying a piano for probably 2 years and it’s something we really wanted so that our kids can take lessons. (Piano lessons are non-negotiable in my house, at least for a few years. I think a basic understanding of music is incredibly important.) Calling it a Christmas present helped us justify dropping a fairly sizeable chunk of change. So the hubby picked up the piano from Costco a week before Christmas and we agreed to leave it in the (rather large) box until Christmas morning so we could have the fun of opening it that day.

Avery knew we planned to buy a piano and was pretty sure that was what was in the box, seeing as it said “digital piano” right on the side. However, the hubby likes to make our kids really use their thinkers and he asked her how she could be sure that a piano was in the box. He pointed out that a piano was much bigger than this box and that there were pictures of wine glasses and umbrellas on the box, not pianos, and didn’t that indicate that the box contained wine glasses and umbrellas?

It was enough to shake her confidence and although she still felt she was probably right she just couldn’t be completely sure. She begged us to open the box so she could see what was inside but we held firm for the Christmas morning deadline.

After the kids were tucked into bed and sound asleep on Christmas Eve the hubby’s devious side got the best of him and he unpacked the piano, set it up, and covered it with blankets in a corner. Then he repacked the box with wine glasses from our cupboard and our own umbrellas, taped it all up, and left it for the morning.

Well you really just can’t imagine the utter disappointment on our daughter’s face when we opened that box Christmas morning and there was NO piano inside. Luckily Daddy quickly revealed the hidden piano and order was restored to the universe.

And that, my friends, is how the hubby almost ruined Christmas for our daughter. But didn’t.

Next, I said I would tell you about my favourite gift of the holiday season. As I mentioned above, the hubby and I agreed to buy the piano for each other for Christmas. I thought about buying him some little thing so he would have a present to open from me but decided that the best present I could give the hubby is to not spend anymore money, as his blood pressure tends to go up this time of year when (it seems to him) every time I come in the door I’m carrying more “presents” and all he sees is dollar signs. Aren’t I thoughtful?

But the hubby, because he knows how very much I like presents, and how I may have gotten just a tiny wee bit resentful after having to do every bit of the baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping and planning for Christmas on my own, got me a couple of presents “from the kids”. Isn’t he smart thoughtful?

So on Christmas morning I opened up my very own Roomba! Oh yes he did! The hubby got me a robot that vacuums for me for Christmas! It’s possibly the most considerate gift I’ve EVER gotten!  And I love it! It’s not going to completely replace me and I still have to keep cords and toys and stuff out of the way. If I want it to clean under the table I have to move the chairs for it. But it means one less job for me to do and I couldn’t be happier!  I am going to have a bumper sticker made…

Robotic Vacuum Cleaners: Bringing Romance Back Since Christmas 2009!

Christmas, the hubby | 4 Comments »

From Swistle:

Eggnog or hot chocolate? Neither. Not a fan of hot drinks.

Does Santa wrap the presents or leave them open under the tree? I usually pick a couple of gifts that are a big deal to be from Santa and wrap them in separate Santa paper that nothing else gets wrapped in. The rest are from me and the hubby because I refuse to give all the credit for fantastic gift selections to a fictional person.

Colored lights on a tree or white? I like white lights – but they have to be the soft white, which is why I haven’t purchased LEDs. I’m not convinced that even the soft white lights will be as nice as regular bulbs and the cold white lights make me want to poke my eyes out.

Do you hang mistletoe? No. Do people actually do that? Not sure I’ve ever seen someone actually hang mistletoe and expect people to kiss random people. I don’t plan to be smooching on anyone except my family members during H1N1 season!

When do you put your decorations up? The very end of November or early December. If the hubby whines that it’s too early for Christmas decorations when I pull the boxes out then I’m pretty much right on time.

What is your favorite holiday dish? Stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy. Which is weird because I never really like stuffing until I was pregnant with my second baby and it became a pregnancy craving. Now I really enjoy it at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No. We are mean parents and make everyone wait for Christmas morning. Although the kids each get a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve night to wear that night. Mostly so they will look cute in the pictures on Christmas morning and not wearing ratty mismatched pajamas.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? When I first had a home of my own I was determined to have a “theme” on my Christmas tree. I thought that was super classy. So I bought a set of wooden angels with phrases on them like “peace on earth” and “joy to the world” as well as some copper coloured metal ornaments in a variety of shapes (star, stocking etc.).  And lo, it was a theme.  But it turns out I really didn’t have enough to decorate a whole tree with those ornaments. And I had a collection of old ornaments, given to me throughout my childhood, that I took with me when I left home and I felt those deserved a place on my tree. So they were added even though they didn’t fit with my theme. And then it turned out that my carefully chosen angel ornaments soon showed themselves to be of the “country kitchen” decorating style which really isn’t my style, and yet I find them hard to part with. But I slowly began to fill up with other ornaments that I received as gifts or purchased here and there. I decided my new theme would simply be “angels” in general. Because I like angels and there are so many pretty angel ornaments out there. And then I had kids. And the kids are quickly collecting ornaments of their own and only a few of them fit with my theme. So finally I admitted defeat and accepted that I will have a mismash of new and old and totally random decorations on my tree and that is ok because each of them is special to me and make me feel happy and that is what the tree should be. It also gives me permission to purchase any pretty decorations I happen to find on post-Christmas sales! Oh, and despite my angel fixation, I like to have a star on top of my tree.

Snow: love it or hate it? I’ll admit it looks pretty when it’s fresh and powdery. But I’d have no problem accepting a snowless Christmas. I hate the cold.

Can you ice skate? I used to be able to skate. It’s been a lot of years since I last did it.

What is your favorite holiday dessert? Butter tarts. I know most Americans don’t know what these are. It’s basically a raisin tart which doesn’t sound at all appetizing. But it’s got lots of brown sugary syrupy goodness in there and if you’ve never had them you are absolutely missing out. Merry Christmas.

What is your favorite holiday tradition? I love advent traditions. I’m still chasing after the perfect advent calendar. I made one this year that I am only moderately happy with. The kids enjoyed it. We also tried wrapping our Christmas books and opening one each night to read, a la Amazing Trips which was a really nice idea and I think we will continue to do that in the future. Also, Christmas Eve, when we go to a candlelight church service early in the evening and then come home to sit in low lighting with candles lit and Christmas music playing and eat all kinds of yummy treats until our stomachs hurt.

Candy canes: yum or yuck? Not a fan.

Favorite Christmas show? White Christmas.

And it’s now just 20 minutes until December 26 so I am just squeaking this in as a Christmas post. Wishing you and yours a peaceful holiday and contentment in the New Year.

Tune in tomorrow to hear how the hubby nearly single-handedly spoiled our daughter’s Christmas morning but saved the day and then rocked my world with what could be the world’s most awesome Christmas present.

Christmas, narcissism | 2 Comments »

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world. 

-Edmund Sears, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, 1849

May your angels be near this Christmas! And may you hold your loved ones close and give thanks for another year’s blessings.

And may you always have someone reliable to stand between you and the freaky man in the red velour pantsuit!

Christmas | 3 Comments »

Many of you have asked to see the picture of my daughter’s teacher daughter with Santa and I just wanted to say that it is coming. After a short trip out of state I am now at home with family visiting for the holidays and posting may continue to be sparse for a bit. Back to your regularly scheduled blog reading soon!

Avery, catch up, Christmas, random | No Comments »

It’s time for a bullet post. Sorry. If you don’t like it you can come back another day! 

• I think I have the only five year old in THE WORLD who is afraid of Santa. I know, I know, just weeks ago I was saying she’s about to blow the lid off the whole Santa story. But she seems to have embraced her belief for the time being and that belief includes sheer terror at the thought of the Jolly Old Elf. When she was 2 and 3 years old this terror made a little more sense. But at five I thought we would be able to reason through the whole thing a little better. When I was a child I had my picture taken on Santa’s lap every year from birth to maybe 8 or 9 years old. But I have not been able to convince my daughter to sit on Santa’s lap one. single. time.  This year her school (for some bizarre reason) had a Santa come to the school and the kids were allowed to have pictures taken with him. Avery told me she most definitely did NOT want to do this. No matter how much we discussed it, tried to assuage her fears, and tried to figure out just what kind of unholy atrocities she expected to experience while sitting on the lap of a mythical gift-bringing creature, she would not give in. So I wrote a note to her teacher explaining her apprehension and that she was not to be traumatized by standing beside Santa for a picture unless she changed her mind. Well, bless the teacher’s heart, when Avery’s turn came, she held her hand and walked her up to Santa and even stood with her. So I’m not sure if we’re going to be sent home a picture of our daughter’s kindergarten teacher or if she jumped out at the last second. But either way, it’s a small victory for confidence!
• Age two has descended upon our household with the vengeance of a…well… a rabid, drooling two year old. Where two year old equals screaming defiance, stubborn refusal to let sustenance pass his delicate lips, stamping, time-outs, shrieking, climbing, hysterical wailing with a healthy second helping of OMG THE STUBBORNNESS! 
• Today I helped with a PTA fundraiser at Avery’s school which mostly involved wrapping dollar-store presents that the kids were purchasing for family. Can I just say that a two foot long back scratcher is a bitch to wrap!!! And I had the distinct pleasure of wrapping at least a dozen of them. Also? Five year olds have NO CONCEPT of buying gifts for anyone other than themselves, the little narcissists. I can’t tell you how many kids the adults had to gently explain that they had not been given ten bucks to blow on themselves, but to buy for their family members. And still, almost every one of the little narcissists came through the “check-out” with something for him/herself. Five year olds are also utterly incapable of any real thought regarding appropriate gifts for people. To my family coming for Christmas: be prepared to smile in appreciation for pencils that say “#1 Teacher”!
• It is a fact that if I walk into a salon I will ALWAYS get the stylist who I deem to have the worst haircut/style and will therefore, in my mind, give me a bad haircut/style. But sometimes I am lucky enough to be wrong and get a sweet cut by a large, Hungarian woman with a rat’s nest on her head.
• Starting tomorrow I will have houseguests every day for the next 18 days except for the 3 days we will be gone on a short vacation. So posting may be a bit sporadic while I’m busy entertaining drinking partying overeating celebrating. Happy Holidays!

Avery, Christmas, holidays, Kieran, random, school, terrible twos | 3 Comments »

If it weren’t for the fact that my head is about to implode due to recent events, I would have posted sooner about the fact that we bought a Christmas tree and how incredibly happy that is making me!  We weren’t able to have one last year and it damn near broke my heart. What makes it even better is that for the same amount of money we would have spent in Saskatchewan we got at least 200% more tree branches. Awesome! 

So just enjoying the smell of the tree and the lights twinkling (figuratively speaking, of course – I can’t stand Christmas tree lights that actually blink, flash, stutter or otherwise “twinkle”) has been a special pleasure the last few days and I intend to bask in it for the upcoming weeks.

In the spirit of lovely holiday atmosphere I wanted to share some of my favourite Christmas items, both new and old – not that my house is a page out of a magazine. Just me, talking about the things that make me happy right now.

First, every few years I buy a giant, red, cinnamon-scented candle. I’m not religious about burning the candle daily so it usually lasts a couple of Christmases. Just for the odd evening throughout the Christmas season. Unless you accidentally leave it burning all night – not that I’VE done that recently (eek!).

Second is my nativity scene. The picture doesn’t do it justice but it is lovely in it’s simplicity. It took me a number of years to find just the right one and then a couple more years to collect the pieces. But it was worth the wait. It evokes peace for me.

 I have a lot of favourite tree ornaments so I’ll only share a couple of them. This first angel was bought our first year of marriage and I actually have about a dozen of them and they all have different phrases on them such as “joy”, “love”, “hope”, “comfort and joy” and “believe”. While I am kind of over the whole country-style decorating I still love these little ornaments because I think words are beautiful and the emotions evoked by these words and short phrases are significant for me.

 

This icicle is new this season. One of several different new ornaments I purchased at the Crate & Barrel store in Boston. I bought ten of these little icicles and I kind of wish I’d bought more because they are so breakable pretty (again, the picture does not do it justice at all). They pick up the light on the tree and sparkle in a really satisfying way. 

 

 

 

 This little angel is one of my oldest ornaments dating back to 1984 (so yeah, not really old at all) when I was 4 years old. It’s kind of creepy looking and cute at the same time. It’s nice to have some things on the tree that have a little history and that I might even be able to pass on to my kids.

 

 

 

 

One of my last favourite things is having a really pretty fireplace over which to hang the stockings this year. We have even lit the fireplace a couple of times which, if you know me, is a big step. I have not been a fan of indoor fires (candles excepted) ever since we experienced a fire in our apartment building seven years ago. And yes, it kind of looks like the decorations and stockings are all part of some elaborate shrine to our TV, and yes, the TV is on. But that is only because we use the Apple TV to play music. See? That’s a picture of the Boney M Christmas Album cover!

Speaking of Christmas music, that must be my last favourite thing. My husband loves December because I not only allow him to play music all the time, but I encourage it. I love Christmas music and I listen to it constantly for one month a year. Come January I’ll turn back into my scroogey old self. 

I hope all of you are getting into the holiday spirit and creating cozy, happy places in which to celebrate. Aww…now I’ve gone and gotten all mushy on you guys. But I love you all! I really do! Mwah! 

 

Christmas | 4 Comments »

Couldn’t you just die from the roly-poly babyness of him???

baby, Christmas, Kieran | No Comments »

In the spirit of spending too much on Christmas decorations, a few of my neighbours have put up those huge inflatables in their front yards.  I have nothing against this but I laugh every time I drive past them. One is supposed to be Santa riding a polar bear and another is supposed to be three snowmen riding a toboggan.  But it’s been so windy lately that the Santa looks like he’s riding a bucking bronco at the rodeo and the snowmen look like they’re in some kind of wrestling match or else doing some very naughty.  I doubt the manufacturers were thinking of a climate as windy as ours when they designed the flimsy anchor mechanisms for these festive creations.

In a moment of insanity I decided to brave the crowds at Walmart yesterday to try and get a new car seat for my son who outgrew his baby seat, oh, about three months ago.  Safety first, and all that!

While the actual shopping went ok, I was immediately annoyed by the many shoppers who cut me off in the aisles without any sign of remorse for their bad behaviour.  Because we all know that my shopping comfort is of the utmost importance. Whatever.

I wrote it off as temporary madness brought on by the consumption of too much Christmas baking.  The real issue was when I got to the checkout.  I had a Walmart employe as my own Christmas elf in tow, pushing the big box withe the car seat on a dolly.  I picked a line at random as they all seemed to promise an equally lengthy wait.  But the little elf instructed me to move into a different lane, saying “This one is open.”  This was despite the light that was turned off and a sign on the conveyor belt reading “This lane closed.”  But I figured the elf knew what she was talking about so I obeyed.  I put all my purchases on the counter and as the cashier finished with the person in front of me she looked up and glared at me frostily.  “This lane is closed,” she said condescendingly.  “That’s why there’s a sign there saying ‘This lane closed’.”

Ok, I admit it.  I was pissed off.  Normally I wouldn’t say or do anything except maybe in my head. But this time I couldn’t take it.  “There’s no need to be rude,” I said firmly, throwing my items back into my cart. “I’m just following the instructions of your employees.”

For once I actually stood up for myself. And would you believe it? The sky didn’t turn red or anything! I still changed lanes but at least I didn’t allow some cranky old woman to walk all over me. I wasn’t trying to be ignorant or push the rules. I was doing what my very own Christmas Walmart elf told me to do.  There’s an all purpose Christmas excuse for you: THE ELF TOLD ME TO DO IT.

Anyway, the cashier managed to spit out a half-assed apology and I left feeling satisfied.  But I was thinking today that I wish I was brave enough to stand up to people more often.  To call bullshit when I see it. 

The night before the hubby and I were out at the new Galaxy cinema downtown.  After the movie we were walking back to our car when a twenty-something year old man approached us asking where the nearest gas station was.  He rattled off a sad story of his three daughters, left in his car some three miles out of town where the vehicle had run out of gas.  They are on a “medical trip” he tells us.  We tell him the location of several of the nearest gas stations but it quickly becomes apparent that whatever he wants, he is really not trying to get to a gas station.  He switches approaches in his attempt to get some money from us.  First he rambles about the ignorance of people in this city, then the fact that the gas stations won’t give him a jerry can.  Then back to the medical trip story again. 

I wish I had the balls to say “Listen buddy, if you need money for something then be man enough to say it, for crying out loud!  Don’t tell me lies about being stranded out of town.  If someone had driven you into town from your car then they certainly wouldn’t have dropped you off in the heart of downtown.  You are clearly miles from the edge of the city and every entrance to this city has at least one gas station.  You certainly wouldn’t have walked all this way looking for a gas station because you would have passed about 25 gas stations on your way.  We told you where the nearest gas stations are and if you can’t afford the deposit to borrow a jerry can then you clearly can’t afford to pay for the gas you say you need.  People might be more willing to actually give you money if you tell them the truth. If you told us you were hungry we’d be very willing to buy you a meal. But from the incoherence of your story my first guess is that you want to get high. If that is the case, take a hike.” 

It sounds good in my head anyway. Maybe on the street it would get me, I don’t know, BEAT UP.  

And in other news…we finally entered the 21st century and got a cell phone!  Wow!  I feel all grown up.

being me, Christmas, philosophy, rants, social studies | No Comments »