I was in a hurry this morning to get to the grocery store for a few things before picking Liam up for lunch. The set of traffic lights closest to our house is INSANELY LONG. Since it started to turn yellow as I approached, I thought I'd duck through the parking lot of the gas station on the corner, thus saving a few minutes.
I should've checked my mirrors first...
Instead, even though I was already signalling left, I turned right... totally cutting off the guy behind/beside me. I heard the brakes squealing so I know he tried to stop.
We both pulled into the gas station, where he and his friend got out SCREAMING at me in french. I quickly said that my french wasn't great (the french that is buried in some rarely used area of my brain doesn't work well under normal circumstances, certainly not when my ears are still ringing with the sound of metal on metal, or fiberglass as the case may be). Thankfully the gentleman spoke both official languages, so he immediately started screaming and swearing at me IN ENGLISH this time.
Right away I said I was sorry and new it was my fault, but he was still understandably upset. Well then I STARTED CRYING. What else is a pregnant lady to do under those circumstances? True to his sex, he felt bad and told me not to cry. To which I responded, "I'M PREGNANT! I CRY ABOUT EVERYTHING!" He got a whole lot nicer after that...
I still have to call our insurance to see what they say. I just feel so sick and stupid about the whole thing. Whenever I think about how much this is going to cost, I start crying again... and looking around the house to see what I can pawn to pay for it all...
Here's hoping I get an insurance rep who takes kindly to hormone-charged, emotionally fragile pregnant ladies! Wish me luck!
P.S. No one was hurt.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Simon: month 23
Dear Simon,
Although I'm already starting out on the wrong foot by writting this, my first monthly letter to you, four days late, I hope you'll forgive me and that these letters will be something you treasure once you're grown.
Simon, you are this little person with life and energy enough for an arena full of post-Halloween, sugar-filled 5-8 year olds. You keep us on our toes at all times, but are a real joy.
Although your destructive habits have not left you, you have become quite my little helper. You love helping me pick up toys, bake, and (best of all) load and unload the washer and dryer. These last two things (and anything involving bending over) are quickly becoming more and more of a chore, ie. PAINFUL, so I'm happy to have you do it. I'm desperately hoping that the novelty doesn't wear off before this last trimester runs out! Now if you only had the strength to do a decent job of cleaning the tub...
Although I'm already starting out on the wrong foot by writting this, my first monthly letter to you, four days late, I hope you'll forgive me and that these letters will be something you treasure once you're grown.
Simon, you are this little person with life and energy enough for an arena full of post-Halloween, sugar-filled 5-8 year olds. You keep us on our toes at all times, but are a real joy.
Although your destructive habits have not left you, you have become quite my little helper. You love helping me pick up toys, bake, and (best of all) load and unload the washer and dryer. These last two things (and anything involving bending over) are quickly becoming more and more of a chore, ie. PAINFUL, so I'm happy to have you do it. I'm desperately hoping that the novelty doesn't wear off before this last trimester runs out! Now if you only had the strength to do a decent job of cleaning the tub...
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You continue to amaze your dad and I with your singing and ability to remember songs. Currently your favorites are "I've Been Workin' on the Railroad", "Old McDonald", and "My Jesus I Love You". And you've become much more particular about which songs we're allowed to sing and when. You SHOUT your "request" at us until we've been worn down and finally give in. For the hundredth time that day. You're such a dictator.
Speaking of shouting, we're anxiously waiting for you to learn to whisper or at least talk like a normal person. You shout everything. Whether it's just from an exuberant zest for life, or an unspoken desire to drive us crazy, we're not sure. What we do know is that you already take great delight in antagonizing others. MAINLY ME. Not that you've discovered too many ways to do this, however you relish those you have.
Case in point... oranges. You love oranges, especially the little clementines or mandarins. Yet when I ask if you'd like one, this is what generally follows:
Simon, would you like an orange?
Yeah, yellow.
No, honey, it's an orange.
No, yellow.
Orange!
Yellow!
Then I realize I'm arguing with a one year old and give up. EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT IT'S ORANGE. But at least you're eating it. Our biggest issue with you remains finding food that you both can and will eat. Generally, the amount of time that I spend altering a recipe to make it safe for you is directly proportionate to how quickly it will end up on the floor, with you innocently looking down at it and pointing out "Mess...?".
I can't believe that you'll be two next month, Simon. You're so independent, yet such a cuddly guy too. I could perhaps do without you constantly trying to put your hands down my shirt, but am happy that you're becoming more and more content to just hold my hand. Except when you insist on hold one (or both) of my hands when I'm cooking, typing, eating, sewing, etc.
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Love, Mum
monthly letters to the boys
I'm stealing this idea from a blog I read regularily (dooce® - the link is on the right). While the blogger uses some rather "colorful" language at times, she's very witty and it's always fun to read. Some of her posts -like the one from this morning about telling her 4 year old daughter a scary story before bed- have me laughing out loud.
One of the things that she does each month is to write a letter to her daughter, discussing the changes in her abilities, personality, funny stories, etc. I LOVE THIS IDEA. Since I will never be one of those moms who keeps a journal for each child, this is as close as I'll come. So although it's a few days late (a sign of things to come??), Simon's first letter will follow in the next post.
One of the things that she does each month is to write a letter to her daughter, discussing the changes in her abilities, personality, funny stories, etc. I LOVE THIS IDEA. Since I will never be one of those moms who keeps a journal for each child, this is as close as I'll come. So although it's a few days late (a sign of things to come??), Simon's first letter will follow in the next post.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
a new look
It's not spring anymore!
(Peter and Liam look really cute in this next picture. I, on the other hand, look like I travelled all day the day before, went to bed around 2am and hardly slept... I'm sure I'll be rocking a similar look for the next 8-10 weeks... or the next 8-10 years!)
The photo that had been at the top of this blog was from David and Kristi's wedding day at the end of May. It was of Simon giving me a lilac blossom... lilacs have long been extinct around here, as will be every color other than WHITE very shortly.
Seeing as we're expecting between 20-30 cms of snow (that'd be around 10" for you yanks) between this afternoon and tomorrow, I might be saying "It's not fall anymore." much sooner than I'd like! But before that happens, I thought I'd change the look of this blog.
The new picture above is from our first day back home with Peter after being gone for almost three weeks. We spent the better part of the afternoon out in the backyard raking/playing in the leaves. Here are a few more pictures:
(Peter and Liam look really cute in this next picture. I, on the other hand, look like I travelled all day the day before, went to bed around 2am and hardly slept... I'm sure I'll be rocking a similar look for the next 8-10 weeks... or the next 8-10 years!)Saturday, October 25, 2008
a busy week
I've been pretty awful at updating this blog, however am planning to get back into it.
We've had a full week since getting back from Regina, so here are a few great and not-so-great highlights:
- Liam's welcome back to school. For a boy who had a hard time making friends because of the language barrier, you'd think he was a returning rock star the way the kids welcomed him back on Monday! Two of his classmates saw him walk up to the gate and immediately started calling for the teacher and other students. He got many hugs from both the boys and girls amid squeals of "Liam! Liam est de retour!". He was just standing there beaming and I could tell how wonderful it felt. It also did this mama's heart good to see her boy thus welcomed.
- "Best" two out of three? Tuesday I was SO BEAT during the day that I found myself falling asleep on the couch at 3pm. This lead to my going to bed at 9:00pm in an effort to catch up on some sleep. Well around 10:30pm, Peter woke me with those dreaded words... "Simon just threw up all over his crib." Great. So I found myself washing the worst of it down the drain around 11pm after we'd gotten him cleaned up and calmed down. Then I hardly slept the rest of the night since he was in bed between us and I was anxious about a round two.
Then Thursday night at 2:30am (you know, that hour that you should be in your deepest, most restful sleep?), I heard Liam calling frantically for me. Yup, you guessed it. More puke. At least I managed to heave his 40+lbs out of bed and run him to the bathroom where most of it ended up in the toilet, but his sheets needed to be stripped aswell. Once again, we ended up with a boy in our bed and a less than restful night.
- Preparing for winter. Some of you in the south may not have heard of this (you certainly don't have need for it!), but Peter and I have gotten into the habit of putting plastic on our windows in the winter. Basically, we shrink-wrap them. It insulates them almost as well as adding another pane of glass would. It's a bit of work -and is kind of ghetto- but it feels good to know that it'll pay off when winter sets in... likely soon.
- Dreaming of fabric. Knowing that all the plastic would soon be up, and now that it's getting dark so much sooner and our lights are on that much more, I've started going through my stash of fabric to see what I can come up with for curtains. I have enough fabric to make the main bodies of all the curtains we'll need, but I'd love to get some new fabric (I know, I know, mom, I don't need more but it's so much fun to dream!). Specifically some from Heather Ross' Mendocino line http://www.freespiritfabric.com/core-pages/gallery.php?gal_id=152 (sorry I don't know how to do a proper link... I'll figure it out someday). I've never been into mermaids or anything like that, but I just can't get enough of this line!
(Sara and Matt, please be having a girl! Pleeeeeease!!)
I do have some fun pics to post, so will try to do that this week.
We've had a full week since getting back from Regina, so here are a few great and not-so-great highlights:
- Liam's welcome back to school. For a boy who had a hard time making friends because of the language barrier, you'd think he was a returning rock star the way the kids welcomed him back on Monday! Two of his classmates saw him walk up to the gate and immediately started calling for the teacher and other students. He got many hugs from both the boys and girls amid squeals of "Liam! Liam est de retour!". He was just standing there beaming and I could tell how wonderful it felt. It also did this mama's heart good to see her boy thus welcomed.
- "Best" two out of three? Tuesday I was SO BEAT during the day that I found myself falling asleep on the couch at 3pm. This lead to my going to bed at 9:00pm in an effort to catch up on some sleep. Well around 10:30pm, Peter woke me with those dreaded words... "Simon just threw up all over his crib." Great. So I found myself washing the worst of it down the drain around 11pm after we'd gotten him cleaned up and calmed down. Then I hardly slept the rest of the night since he was in bed between us and I was anxious about a round two.
Then Thursday night at 2:30am (you know, that hour that you should be in your deepest, most restful sleep?), I heard Liam calling frantically for me. Yup, you guessed it. More puke. At least I managed to heave his 40+lbs out of bed and run him to the bathroom where most of it ended up in the toilet, but his sheets needed to be stripped aswell. Once again, we ended up with a boy in our bed and a less than restful night.
- Preparing for winter. Some of you in the south may not have heard of this (you certainly don't have need for it!), but Peter and I have gotten into the habit of putting plastic on our windows in the winter. Basically, we shrink-wrap them. It insulates them almost as well as adding another pane of glass would. It's a bit of work -and is kind of ghetto- but it feels good to know that it'll pay off when winter sets in... likely soon.
- Dreaming of fabric. Knowing that all the plastic would soon be up, and now that it's getting dark so much sooner and our lights are on that much more, I've started going through my stash of fabric to see what I can come up with for curtains. I have enough fabric to make the main bodies of all the curtains we'll need, but I'd love to get some new fabric (I know, I know, mom, I don't need more but it's so much fun to dream!). Specifically some from Heather Ross' Mendocino line http://www.freespiritfabric.com/core-pages/gallery.php?gal_id=152 (sorry I don't know how to do a proper link... I'll figure it out someday). I've never been into mermaids or anything like that, but I just can't get enough of this line!
(Sara and Matt, please be having a girl! Pleeeeeease!!)
I do have some fun pics to post, so will try to do that this week.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Happy Birthday, Nathaniel!
Wow, it's been a month since I posted last! I have a lot to write about from that time, but today's post is about Nathaniel.
It's strange to think that he'd be three right now! I asked Liam how he'd feel if he had another brother around who was the same age as Rowan PLUS Simon. His eyes got big, then he laughed. He decided to draw a picture for Nathaniel that he wants to attach to a helium balloon... it has Anakin Skywalker (with lightsaber) and a bunch of hearts.
(I'll add the pic here once I get one taken and uploaded)
We didn't do a whole lot to celebrate today. We got to bed around 1:30am last night because our flight got into Ottawa so late. We all slept in a bit, the boys played, had naps, then we went out in the backyard and played in the leaves. I'd wanted to bake a cake tonight, but I think it will have to wait til tomorrow or Tuesday.
I thought about adding some pictures of Nathaniel in here, but I think I'll just add the video we played at his service. I know some (most) of you have seen in before, but hopefully you won't mind seeing it again.
We miss you sweet boy.
It's strange to think that he'd be three right now! I asked Liam how he'd feel if he had another brother around who was the same age as Rowan PLUS Simon. His eyes got big, then he laughed. He decided to draw a picture for Nathaniel that he wants to attach to a helium balloon... it has Anakin Skywalker (with lightsaber) and a bunch of hearts.
(I'll add the pic here once I get one taken and uploaded)
We didn't do a whole lot to celebrate today. We got to bed around 1:30am last night because our flight got into Ottawa so late. We all slept in a bit, the boys played, had naps, then we went out in the backyard and played in the leaves. I'd wanted to bake a cake tonight, but I think it will have to wait til tomorrow or Tuesday.
I thought about adding some pictures of Nathaniel in here, but I think I'll just add the video we played at his service. I know some (most) of you have seen in before, but hopefully you won't mind seeing it again.
We miss you sweet boy.
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