Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Latte, Extra-Hot (my first foray into the land of coffee in a while - the morning sickness must be wearing off - yay!)
On this historic day.... a little known fact about Barack Obama:
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
It's That Time Already?
Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte
I can hardly believe it.
I just got home from registering the Princess for kindergarten. Kindergarten! My little girl is going to be starting school in the Fall! It can't be that time already, can it?
Admittedly, I'm going through this a little earlier than most parents - the Princess is a December baby, so she just makes the cut-off to apply to school for this Fall. If she were born just a few weeks later, I would have another whole year to get used to this idea. However, that's not the case. She'll just be a wee little 4-year-old when she starts school in September!
Don't get me wrong, though - she's totally ready to go. She's been in preschool for 2 years now, and she absolutely loves school. She's very social, and she loves the opportunity to be among other children. She also loves, loves, loves to learn new things. She has discovered those workbooks that you can buy at the bookstore that have activities geared at different age levels - you know, the ones designed to teach your child reading, math, etc. Well, she can't get enough of those things. She will sit at the kitchen counter for long stretches of time doing those workbooks, totally of her own volition. We have never asked her to do them, in fact sometimes we have to take them away because she's been at it for more than an hour at a time! She reminds me so much of myself at that age - I loved anything to do with school as well. It's so delightful to see a child with such an innate love of learning.
But it's hard for Mommy to let go. I am so happy for her that she's going to be starting school because I know she's going to really enjoy it. And, it will be good to have her off at school for part of the day when there's a new baby in the house - one less thing I have to worry about, right? But at the same time I want to hang on to her a little longer, have a little more of that "little kid" time before letting her cross over into "big kid" land. I'm selfish, I know, but I want my first "baby" to stay a "baby" a little longer. Where does the time go?
I can hardly believe it.
I just got home from registering the Princess for kindergarten. Kindergarten! My little girl is going to be starting school in the Fall! It can't be that time already, can it?
Admittedly, I'm going through this a little earlier than most parents - the Princess is a December baby, so she just makes the cut-off to apply to school for this Fall. If she were born just a few weeks later, I would have another whole year to get used to this idea. However, that's not the case. She'll just be a wee little 4-year-old when she starts school in September!
Don't get me wrong, though - she's totally ready to go. She's been in preschool for 2 years now, and she absolutely loves school. She's very social, and she loves the opportunity to be among other children. She also loves, loves, loves to learn new things. She has discovered those workbooks that you can buy at the bookstore that have activities geared at different age levels - you know, the ones designed to teach your child reading, math, etc. Well, she can't get enough of those things. She will sit at the kitchen counter for long stretches of time doing those workbooks, totally of her own volition. We have never asked her to do them, in fact sometimes we have to take them away because she's been at it for more than an hour at a time! She reminds me so much of myself at that age - I loved anything to do with school as well. It's so delightful to see a child with such an innate love of learning.
But it's hard for Mommy to let go. I am so happy for her that she's going to be starting school because I know she's going to really enjoy it. And, it will be good to have her off at school for part of the day when there's a new baby in the house - one less thing I have to worry about, right? But at the same time I want to hang on to her a little longer, have a little more of that "little kid" time before letting her cross over into "big kid" land. I'm selfish, I know, but I want my first "baby" to stay a "baby" a little longer. Where does the time go?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Like Curling Up in Front of the Fire with a Blanket and a Good Book
Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte, Extra-Hot
After weeks on end of snow, now what do we have? Rain. Lots of it. Meaning lots of slush and lots of flooding of streets (but hopefully not my basement). Eww.
What does all this nasty winter weather call for? You guessed it: comfort food.
Tonight comfort food is coming in the way of old-fashioned beef stew and homemade butter biscuits. Mmmmm. In fact, the stew is simmering on the stove right now, filling my kitchen with its amazing scent. If I hadn't had a crazy, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, out in the rain getting my hair all frizzy kind of day, this comforting supper would be accompanied by an equally comforting dessert. Oh well, you can't have everything, I guess.
(But if I could choose, it would probably be lemon meringue pie. Just for the record.)
What do you turn to when the weather gets you down?
After weeks on end of snow, now what do we have? Rain. Lots of it. Meaning lots of slush and lots of flooding of streets (but hopefully not my basement). Eww.
What does all this nasty winter weather call for? You guessed it: comfort food.
Tonight comfort food is coming in the way of old-fashioned beef stew and homemade butter biscuits. Mmmmm. In fact, the stew is simmering on the stove right now, filling my kitchen with its amazing scent. If I hadn't had a crazy, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, out in the rain getting my hair all frizzy kind of day, this comforting supper would be accompanied by an equally comforting dessert. Oh well, you can't have everything, I guess.
(But if I could choose, it would probably be lemon meringue pie. Just for the record.)
What do you turn to when the weather gets you down?
Monday, January 5, 2009
Winter Wonderhell
Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte (it's all I can stomach these days)
I am done with the snow. D-O-N-E. Done.
I live in the suburbs of Vancouver. We don't get snow here. Ok, ok, maybe a few flakes here and there, nothing to get excited about, generally gone by the next day. Certainly not "30+ centimeters at a time, for days on end, for nearly 3 weeks now" kind of snow. That's why I moved here. I like not getting snow in the winter time - it's very civilized.
Now, the problem isn't that I'm not used to snow. I come from the far reaches of Eastern Canada originally - trust me, I've seen my fair share of snow. I've shovelled it, I've gone sledding in it, I've thrown snowballs. I've had endless winters of it that started in October and didn't go away until late April or early May. I've walked to school, 20 miles, uphill both ways in blinding snowstorms... you know the drill...
My problem with long stretches of snow in greater Vancouver is that THIS CITY DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH SNOW! Sorry, I'm yelling. I can't help it. I'm just so frustrated!!!!!
I come from a place that knows about snow. They know winter comes every year, they budget for it, they buy snowplows, employ endless numbers of city workers, and stockpile mountains of salt. When it starts to snow, they start plowing. And they plow 24 HOURS A DAY until the snow is cleared and the city can go about its' business in a normal fashion.
Greater Vancouver apparently knows nothing about these practices. My city, which has a population of more than 400,000 people, only seems to have 3 or 4 plows on the go. And the people who operate them GO HOME AT 4 PM. No, really. I'm serious. My husband snarled at people from City Hall for nearly an hour on the phone one day, slowly working his way up the management chain, until he learned that little tidbit from one of the higher-ups at City Works. We almost fell on the floor laughing at him when he told us that. Where do these people come from?????
Over the last 2+ weeks more than 100 centimeters of snow has fallen on my yard, my driveway, and my street. And, believe this one or not, the city has never plowed my street. I don't live on a major through-road, so we apparently don't get plowed. Ever. Even if it means I can't get out of my house for days on end. Glad to see my tax dollars working so hard.
AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!
I'm so bloody frustrated, I'm ready to lose my mind.
Thankfully, the weather chick on CBC tells me this may be coming to an end in the next couple of days. The temperature is supposed to rise, and they're calling for large amounts of rain to wash all this bloody snow away. However, she refuses to say that there won't be any snow included in this system. She's covering her ass. Wiley bitch, that one. She knows that one of these days I'm going to come right through the television and whip her bony white ass.
I'm seriously hoping that the rain washes away some of the crazy I'm feeling.
End of rant. Thanks for listening. (if you still are) :)
I am done with the snow. D-O-N-E. Done.
I live in the suburbs of Vancouver. We don't get snow here. Ok, ok, maybe a few flakes here and there, nothing to get excited about, generally gone by the next day. Certainly not "30+ centimeters at a time, for days on end, for nearly 3 weeks now" kind of snow. That's why I moved here. I like not getting snow in the winter time - it's very civilized.
Now, the problem isn't that I'm not used to snow. I come from the far reaches of Eastern Canada originally - trust me, I've seen my fair share of snow. I've shovelled it, I've gone sledding in it, I've thrown snowballs. I've had endless winters of it that started in October and didn't go away until late April or early May. I've walked to school, 20 miles, uphill both ways in blinding snowstorms... you know the drill...
My problem with long stretches of snow in greater Vancouver is that THIS CITY DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH SNOW! Sorry, I'm yelling. I can't help it. I'm just so frustrated!!!!!
I come from a place that knows about snow. They know winter comes every year, they budget for it, they buy snowplows, employ endless numbers of city workers, and stockpile mountains of salt. When it starts to snow, they start plowing. And they plow 24 HOURS A DAY until the snow is cleared and the city can go about its' business in a normal fashion.
Greater Vancouver apparently knows nothing about these practices. My city, which has a population of more than 400,000 people, only seems to have 3 or 4 plows on the go. And the people who operate them GO HOME AT 4 PM. No, really. I'm serious. My husband snarled at people from City Hall for nearly an hour on the phone one day, slowly working his way up the management chain, until he learned that little tidbit from one of the higher-ups at City Works. We almost fell on the floor laughing at him when he told us that. Where do these people come from?????
Over the last 2+ weeks more than 100 centimeters of snow has fallen on my yard, my driveway, and my street. And, believe this one or not, the city has never plowed my street. I don't live on a major through-road, so we apparently don't get plowed. Ever. Even if it means I can't get out of my house for days on end. Glad to see my tax dollars working so hard.
AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!
I'm so bloody frustrated, I'm ready to lose my mind.
Thankfully, the weather chick on CBC tells me this may be coming to an end in the next couple of days. The temperature is supposed to rise, and they're calling for large amounts of rain to wash all this bloody snow away. However, she refuses to say that there won't be any snow included in this system. She's covering her ass. Wiley bitch, that one. She knows that one of these days I'm going to come right through the television and whip her bony white ass.
I'm seriously hoping that the rain washes away some of the crazy I'm feeling.
End of rant. Thanks for listening. (if you still are) :)
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Here We Go, Again
Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte
So, the more observant among you (those who aren't hung over today, I'm betting) have already figured out my little New Year's secret. Yep, it's true. I'm pregnant. Again.
But this time I showed a little restraint and kept this one under wraps until a little later in the game. Still not completely out of the 1st trimester woods, but I'm cautiously optimistic that things are ok this time around. Optimistic enough to have started a little side blog, in fact. Come join me over at Lattes For Two for the whole story. And then keep coming back to follow along until the big day arrives sometime in July. That's the day that my carefully organized (ha!), precariously balanced little parenting act erupts into full-blown "I have 3 kids now, watch how my head spins" chaos. Should be fun, in that unable to avert your eyes, gawking at the accident on the highway kind of way.
Doesn't that make you want to click over?
Anyway... on to other matters. So, it's the first day of 2009. How's it treating you so far? Personally, I'm in pretty good shape. Last night was very tame, even by my standards. In fact, I confess to having rung in the actual New Year from my bed, reading a really good book that you all should go out and get, if you haven't read it already, called The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I'm only a third of the way through, but it's a book I have a hard time putting down. Amazing.
Ok, I'm getting sidetracked. So, my New Year's was pretty tame. We ordered pizza, rented a movie, then retired to our respective computers, and then I went to bed. Hot couple, aren't we? Makes you wonder how I ever got pregnant, really. *sigh* But, truthfully, it's precisely what we both wanted to do this New Year. I'm pregnant, sick as a dog, and more tired than I've been at any time in my life outside of the immediate newborn phase of my two children. My husband has been working like a dog all over the holidays, and when he's not working he's been shovelling snow. Don't even get me started about the snow. Let's just say, I'm not a fan. Neither of us wanted to get dressed up and go to some ridiculous shin-dig at which we were both going to be sober (he's on call again tomorrow) and have to wait it out until midnight with the intoxicated masses before it was polite to leave. Thanks, but no thanks.
So, New Year 2009 came in quietly, just as we hoped.
Now, of course, it's time to make those pesky resolutions that never seem to be kept. I'm keeping it brief this year. My first resolution is to work on getting my home more organized. We're drowning in a sea of paper, and nothing in my house seems to have a home. That needs to change, or 2009 just might be the year I lose my mind. It's a big project, though, so I'm going to try to start small, working on one area of the house at a time. Hopefully by Spring I'll have things sorted out enough to go on a big Spring Cleaning binge and get things into shape before summer and the new baby come.
My second resolution is to try to keep up with my blog. I really lost my blogging mojo in the last quarter of 2008, and I kind of missed this as an outlet. And I missed all of you, of course! But I'm not doing anything crazy like joining Blog365 again this year. I know better. If I can plant my ass in front of the computer and pull off 3 or 4 reasonable posts a week, I'll be happy.
And that's it for this year. I'm capping it at 2 resolutions. No crazy plans to eat better, get into shape (the only shape I'll be working on this year is round, I'm thinkin'), or completely overhaul my life. Sorry, Oprah! Maybe this year I'll actually keep my resolutions. Feel free to kick me in the ass when necessary to get me to keep up on #2. Hopefully as #1 takes shape I'll have some before and after shots to show off. If nothing else, it will help keep #2 going, right?
So, my fellow bloggers (you few precious readers I have left!), what have you resolved for 2009?
So, the more observant among you (those who aren't hung over today, I'm betting) have already figured out my little New Year's secret. Yep, it's true. I'm pregnant. Again.
But this time I showed a little restraint and kept this one under wraps until a little later in the game. Still not completely out of the 1st trimester woods, but I'm cautiously optimistic that things are ok this time around. Optimistic enough to have started a little side blog, in fact. Come join me over at Lattes For Two for the whole story. And then keep coming back to follow along until the big day arrives sometime in July. That's the day that my carefully organized (ha!), precariously balanced little parenting act erupts into full-blown "I have 3 kids now, watch how my head spins" chaos. Should be fun, in that unable to avert your eyes, gawking at the accident on the highway kind of way.
Doesn't that make you want to click over?
Anyway... on to other matters. So, it's the first day of 2009. How's it treating you so far? Personally, I'm in pretty good shape. Last night was very tame, even by my standards. In fact, I confess to having rung in the actual New Year from my bed, reading a really good book that you all should go out and get, if you haven't read it already, called The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I'm only a third of the way through, but it's a book I have a hard time putting down. Amazing.
Ok, I'm getting sidetracked. So, my New Year's was pretty tame. We ordered pizza, rented a movie, then retired to our respective computers, and then I went to bed. Hot couple, aren't we? Makes you wonder how I ever got pregnant, really. *sigh* But, truthfully, it's precisely what we both wanted to do this New Year. I'm pregnant, sick as a dog, and more tired than I've been at any time in my life outside of the immediate newborn phase of my two children. My husband has been working like a dog all over the holidays, and when he's not working he's been shovelling snow. Don't even get me started about the snow. Let's just say, I'm not a fan. Neither of us wanted to get dressed up and go to some ridiculous shin-dig at which we were both going to be sober (he's on call again tomorrow) and have to wait it out until midnight with the intoxicated masses before it was polite to leave. Thanks, but no thanks.
So, New Year 2009 came in quietly, just as we hoped.
Now, of course, it's time to make those pesky resolutions that never seem to be kept. I'm keeping it brief this year. My first resolution is to work on getting my home more organized. We're drowning in a sea of paper, and nothing in my house seems to have a home. That needs to change, or 2009 just might be the year I lose my mind. It's a big project, though, so I'm going to try to start small, working on one area of the house at a time. Hopefully by Spring I'll have things sorted out enough to go on a big Spring Cleaning binge and get things into shape before summer and the new baby come.
My second resolution is to try to keep up with my blog. I really lost my blogging mojo in the last quarter of 2008, and I kind of missed this as an outlet. And I missed all of you, of course! But I'm not doing anything crazy like joining Blog365 again this year. I know better. If I can plant my ass in front of the computer and pull off 3 or 4 reasonable posts a week, I'll be happy.
And that's it for this year. I'm capping it at 2 resolutions. No crazy plans to eat better, get into shape (the only shape I'll be working on this year is round, I'm thinkin'), or completely overhaul my life. Sorry, Oprah! Maybe this year I'll actually keep my resolutions. Feel free to kick me in the ass when necessary to get me to keep up on #2. Hopefully as #1 takes shape I'll have some before and after shots to show off. If nothing else, it will help keep #2 going, right?
So, my fellow bloggers (you few precious readers I have left!), what have you resolved for 2009?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Closing Out the Year
Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte
*tap tap tap tap* Is this thing still on???
Well, folks, here we are. The last day of 2008. Is it just me, or was this a very long year? Phew. To tell the truth, I'm glad to be ringing it out.
I enjoy starting a New Year. I like the feeling of freshness to it - much the same as I still love September, even though I've been out of school for many years. It's like turning to a fresh, clean page full of possiblities.
I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful holiday season, full of family, friends, joy and laughter, and way too much good food. My holidays were very quiet, but they were happy and warm and filled with love, so I count this as a good year. Oh, and I puked every single morning, so that makes it a good one too. ;)
Happy New Year!
*tap tap tap tap* Is this thing still on???
Well, folks, here we are. The last day of 2008. Is it just me, or was this a very long year? Phew. To tell the truth, I'm glad to be ringing it out.
I enjoy starting a New Year. I like the feeling of freshness to it - much the same as I still love September, even though I've been out of school for many years. It's like turning to a fresh, clean page full of possiblities.
I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful holiday season, full of family, friends, joy and laughter, and way too much good food. My holidays were very quiet, but they were happy and warm and filled with love, so I count this as a good year. Oh, and I puked every single morning, so that makes it a good one too. ;)
Happy New Year!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Is Saving Money Worth a Life? I Think Not
Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte
At some point in time or another, I think everyone has fallen victim to the rampant consumerism that plagues our society. But today, Black Friday in the United States, the biggest shopping day that country sees, one person became a real victim. The greed of ridiculous mob of consumers whipped into a frenzy by the corporate machines that promote such ludicrous behaviour by opening up earlier and earlier on the day after Thanksgiving and creating an air of last-minute desperation among their customers, led to the death of a Wal-Mart employee in suburban New York.
A 34-year-old man was trampled to death when the customers outside lost their minds and ripped the door from the hinges and forced their way inside.
At a Wal-Mart.
People, really. What did you need that badly at Wal-Mart?
I'm so ashamed to be a member of the human race right now.
Happy Thanksgiving. Yeah, right.
At some point in time or another, I think everyone has fallen victim to the rampant consumerism that plagues our society. But today, Black Friday in the United States, the biggest shopping day that country sees, one person became a real victim. The greed of ridiculous mob of consumers whipped into a frenzy by the corporate machines that promote such ludicrous behaviour by opening up earlier and earlier on the day after Thanksgiving and creating an air of last-minute desperation among their customers, led to the death of a Wal-Mart employee in suburban New York.
A 34-year-old man was trampled to death when the customers outside lost their minds and ripped the door from the hinges and forced their way inside.
At a Wal-Mart.
People, really. What did you need that badly at Wal-Mart?
I'm so ashamed to be a member of the human race right now.
Happy Thanksgiving. Yeah, right.
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