Latte Mommy

Steam Coming Out Of My Ears

2010-05-27T21:28:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Vanilla Latte, Extra-Hot

I was so incredibly angry.

It's nearly 12 hours later and it still makes me so angry I could throttle someone. Someone in particular.

Let's backtrack a little so you get the whole story...

The Boy goes to preschool now (yeah, it's been a while since I posted regularly. He's 3 and a half now, can you believe it?). Preschool is on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning. This past Tuesday I arrived to pick him up as per usual, and parked my car in the parking lot of the school. On my way down to the school I passed a minivan with its windows partly rolled down. Much to my surprise, a little voice called out "hello!" as I passed. I glanced back to see a small child, no more than 2, buckled into a car seat, sitting in the car alone. Alone! No parent or other responsible individual in sight.

I was stunned.

I called over a friend of mine who was also on her way into the school, just to be sure that I wasn't crazy and seeing things (I'm a tad sleep-deprived these days). She was equally stunned. We both thought we recognized the vehicle as belonging to a mother from the other preschool classroom. Neither of us knew her name.

I was so flabbergasted that I just didn't know what to say or do. I was speechless.

Sure enough, as my friend and I were leaving the school and heading back to our cars, the woman we suspected as being the culprit was driving off in her minivan without a care in the world.

Fast-forward to today.....

Again I arrived at the school and parked in the parking lot. I noted the vehicle in question once again, and detoured out of my way to go past it and look inside. You can guess what I found.

I was livid. I saw red. My adrenalin was pumping, my heart was racing, and this time I was not going to sit back and watch as someone put their child at risk.

I marched into the school and made a beeline for the other preschool classroom. Sure enough, there she was, nonchalantly conversing with another parent, her back to me. I tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, but did you leave your child alone in the car?" To which she non-chalantly replied, "Yeah" with a look that said "what's it to you?" (!!!!!) *cue the sound of my head exploding*

At this point I mustered up every ounce of composure I could locate and somehow managed to not rip her head off. Instead, I tore a healthy strip off her, reminding her that leaving your small child alone and completely out of your sight in a vehicle for the 10 minutes it takes to pick up your child from preschool does not constitute acceptable behaviour. Any amount of time is unacceptable. I told her that if it was too inconvenient for her to bring her child safely inside the school, all she has to do is ask me to watch the child in the parking lot and I will happily do so to ensure that child's safety. I also told her that she could now consider herself on notice, and the next time I see her leave a child alone in a vehicle I will call Children's Services right away and report her.

And don't think for one second that I won't.

Sometimes You Just Gotta Remember What Used to Make You Happy

2010-05-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai, Extra-Hot

I really hate doing dishes at ten o'clock at night. Especially when we didn't have company over. At least then I'd be tipsy. *sigh*

The Days Go By...

2010-01-02T23:08:00.000-08:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, N0-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Nearly a year. Nearly a year since I last posted. I can hardly believe it. How time flies.

I contemplated posting many times over the last year. I thought a lot about what I would say, how I would explain my absence. But it was more of a procrastinating tool, all this thinking about what I would say. So, my new approach is this: stop analyzing, stop trying to explain yourself, and just sit down and write, goddamn it!!

The truth is that there is no single, definable reason why I stopped blogging. It was for a million reasons and no reason at all. Life is complicated, and I let it all get away from me. But I missed blogging over the last year. Some days a lot, some days not at all. But, overall, I missed it. So.... now I'm back. If you'll have me!

A lot happens in a year. The Princess started Kindergarten, Jr. started preschool, and our family of 4 became a family of 5. Our little muffin is now 5 months old, and she's got us all wrapped around her little finger.

Isn't she cute??? Things around here have gone from controlled chaos to utter mayhem, and I'm loving every single minute of it.

And now, here we are. 2010. Who knows what this year will hold. I am hoping, though, that whatever may come will include the opportunity to reconnect with any of you out there who still occasionally check my feed.

What did 2009 bring for you?

On This Historic Day

2009-01-20T19:55:00.000-08:00

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:

It's That Time Already?

2009-01-19T09:56:00.000-08:00

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?

Like Curling Up in Front of the Fire with a Blanket and a Good Book

2009-01-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

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?

Winter Wonderhell

2009-01-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

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) :)

Here We Go, Again

2009-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

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?

Closing Out the Year

2008-12-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

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!

Is Saving Money Worth a Life? I Think Not

2008-11-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

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.

Oprah's Got Billions, She Can Afford It

2008-11-26T13:57:00.000-08:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Well, folks, whether we like it or not the holiday season is upon us.

I, personally, like Christmas. I like the lights, I like the tree, I like the gathering around of family and friends, I like the food (maybe a little too much). But probably most of all, I like the music. I love Christmas tunes. Modern, traditional, whatever - I like it all. In fact, I'll confess to occasionally listening to Christmas music in the dead of summer. Call me crazy, that's ok, you won't be the first to do so.

So, I was delighted to catch a bit of Oprah today and discover that she's giving away Christmas music on her website for the next 48 hrs!!! Oprah's celebrating a thrifty Christmas this year (much, I'm sure, to the chagrin of those who managed to get tickets to her "Favourite Things" show this year - that's major disappointment). In honour of her new thrifty ways (yeah, right), Oprah has compiled a selection of Christmas songs that you can download for free on her website, but only for the next 48 hrs.

So what are you doing still here? Scurry on over there and download yourself some music to get you into the Christmas mood. Consider it my gift from Oprah to you. ;)

The Griswold Effect

2008-11-21T20:57:00.001-08:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Has Christmas come to your neighbourhood yet? It's not out in full force in mine, but it's certainly trickling out at a steady pace. Every day more people have their lights up, and there are lots of trees peeking out of living room windows. It started nearly two weeks ago, believe it or not. I saw the first decorated house in my neighbourhood on November 11th.

Is it just me, or does that seem early to you?

When I was a kid, there was no such thing as decorating for Christmas before at least mid-December. And the tree didn't go up until the 23rd, no matter how much we begged. Now, keep in mind that my family always had a real tree. Artificial trees were considered tacky. And they looked it, too, back in the 70's and 80's. Eeek! And, given that the life span of a real tree is fairly limited, it makes sense to hold off on putting up a real tree until very close to Christmas Day. That way your tree is still fresh, still smells beautiful, and your presents aren't showered in needles when you go to open them.

I suspect that my parents also might not have wanted to put up decorations (and especially the tree) too early with kids in the house. I'm sure that we would have been bouncing off the walls once the decorating was done, asking every 3 seconds when Santa was coming. It would be enough to make your head explode, I'm certain.

To the best of my recollection, we were not the odd ones out in our neighbourhood by not decorating for Christmas until quite late in the game. I think the philosophy was different 30 (OMG, am I that old???) years ago. Christmas happened in December, not immediately after Hallowe'en.

It's obvious that part of the influence now is commercialism. The stores start putting out their Christmas wares at least around Hallowe'en, and often even earlier that that. People are susceptible to that influence, and it makes them want to decorate their homes. I totally get it. I found myself humming Christmas tunes and thinking about decorating my tree in October this year!! If you're like me and you like Christmas, it's hard not to want to get into the spirit as soon as the first signs of Christmas pop up in the neighbourhood stores.

But when is the right time to do it? Is there such a thing as too early? Is there an acceptable date for pulling all those red- and green-topped Rubbermaid bins out of storage and dusting off your Christmas CDs? My sister theorizes that Rememberance Day (November 11th) is a mental check-point for a lot of people. That it's considered socially acceptable to begin celebrating the holiday season after you've acknowledged the sacrifice of veterans. Fair enough. That makes sense, I guess.

For me, it's always been December 1st. I think of Christmas as a December holiday, and therefore I have trouble getting my head around decorating any earlier than that. A full month of Christmas decorations, Christmas music, food, etc. seems like it should be enough. But here I am, still in November, feeling like I'm the neighbourhood slacker because I don't have my Christmas decorations up yet. One woman from preschool (who has entirely too much time on her hands, I'm beginning to think) has her entire house decorated and not one, not two, but 3 (!) trees up and decorated since last week!!! It's no wonder I'm feeling behind on my game!

Is this problem strictly Canadian? I'm thinking that maybe the hub-bub around Thanksgiving in the States keeps the elves at bay... is that true? Do Americans wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas?

Regardless, I think I now have the itch. No, not that kind. Minds out of the gutter, people. I think I'm going to have to dig out those Rubbermaid bins a little earlier this year. Now if I could just scrounge up a few elves to do the work for me...

Back to Normal. Well, as Normal as it Gets, Anyway...

2008-11-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Gingerbread Latte

God bless family. My MIL saved my sanity by taking care of the kids while my husband and I went away for a week at the beginning of the month. But, boy... am I done with houseguests!!!

My MIL arrived on the 28th of October, and it's been non-stop revolving door on my guest room since then. My MIL was here until the 16th of this month. While she was here my husband's brother and his family came for a visit. The day after they all left my sister and her family arrived on their way back home from Australia and stayed for the week.

It doesn't sound like a lot when I type it all out, but it's been nearly a month of non-stop houseguests, and I'm kinda glad it's over.

Don't get me wrong - the visits have all been very pleasant. There has been good food, good drink, good conversation, and a bit of sightseeing thrown in for good measure. We even had a couple of birthday parties (Jr.'s 2 now - OMG!). But I'm done with being the hostess. I want to feel ok about just ordering pizza for dinner. I want to sit in front of my tv and watch whatever I want, instead of what my guests enjoy. I want to catch up on my blogging!!!!!

So, here I am. It's Friday night. I'm going to pour myself a drink, do a little blogging, and then catch up on the eleventy-hundred things on my PVR.

Life is good. How about you???

You Find Your Place

2008-11-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Do you know what happens when you find yourself slogging through life, day after day, feeling oddly discontented but unable to put your finger on the nature of your problem, sleepwalking your way through your children's lives, missing the big picture because the minute details of everyday living are crowding your field of vision, ignoring the opportunities that present themselves to you every day because you lack the self-confidence and energy necessary to pursue them, avoiding people because, well, it's just easier that way, and then you escape...

to this:

where the scenery looks like this:

and this:

and so on:

....? Do you know what happens?

You come home and you try very hard to put your life back on track. You think a lot about your priorities. You look at your overflowing inbox and you decide that perhaps it's time to respond to some of those emails that have been sitting there for eons, waiting for replies. And it's also time to get your ass off of the hundred thousand mailing lists that are wasting your precious time. You look at your ridiculously overstuffed reader, with it's insane number of blogs you are "following" but never actually reading, and the astonishingly small number of blogs that you actually read regularly. You hit "mark all as read" and watch that feeling of obligation swirl around and around and around and down the drain like used bathwater.

You feel relief.

You then look at each and every one of those blog titles and ruthlessly cut away the excess that threatens to smother you. You know which ones you must save, and you realize that the ones that you may have cut away in error will come back to your attention in due time, proving themselves to be the kind of blogs and bloggers that you need in your life. You know that the people who actually, truly care about you here will understand your need to do so. Particularly if they've actually been patient enough with your rambling, run-on sentences to have read this far.

You look at the ridiculous number of social networking sites to which you belong. You recognize that you are fooling yourself if you think that trying to keep up with all of these is fulfilling your life in any way. You make a plan to whittle these down too. You know that there is no one out there breathlessly waiting for you to tweet or plurk your latest stray thought. You know, too, though, that there are friends out there in Twitter and Plurk land. Perhaps if you knock the list of 20 or so social networks down to these two, you might actually connect with some of them on a more regular basis. Go figure. In economy there may be wealth.

You purge. You declutter. You reorient yourself in your world. You find your place.

And you hope to find peace, happiness and fulfillment.

I sincerely appreciate every single, solitary person who reads this blog. I thank you for reading, I thank you for commenting, I thank you for lurking. I thank you for your private emails checking in on me during my (multiple) absences. I thank you for being my friends. I thank some of you for being more like family.

I thank you, in advance, for understanding while I go through some growing pains around here. It's time.

As the Daylight Wanes...

2008-11-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

The sun has just set over Polo Beach. I sit here in the hotel bar, sipping the last Mai Tai of my vacation, watching as the sky darkens and the tiki torches that line the paths that wind down to the ocean are lit. People are trading their bikinis and sunglasses for cocktail dresses and heels, and the guitarist in the corner plays traditional Hawaiian melodies. There is a soft evening breeze and the scent of flowers wafts through the air.

I am loathe to leave this.

It has been idyllic. Our time here has been restful and healing, rekindling some of the lost romance of our youth with its freedom from responsibility. We have eaten when hungry, slept when tired, and woken when our bodies were rested. We have walked in the sand, swum in the ocean, lounged by the pool. We have driven the coastline, marveled at the landscape, smiled at the hospitality of the people, eaten their traditional foods, enjoyed their music and dancing and climbed their volcano. We have done so much in our week here, and yet so little. We'll have to come back.

I will miss my vacation when the real world pushes its way into my consciousness in a few hours. But not nearly as much as I have missed my babies. I can already hear their cry of "Mommy" tomorrow morning, see their smiling little faces, and feel their little arms around my neck.

Maui has nothing on that.

A Feast for the Senses

2008-11-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip Pumpkin Spice Latte

(1) The smell of sunscreen.

(2) The sound of the surf.

(3) The feel of the sand between your toes.

(4) The taste of the ice cold umbrella drink in your hand.

(5) The look in the eyes of the one you love as you stroll along the beach.

Look out, Hawaii, here I come.... :)

Into Each Life A Little Rain Must Fall

2008-10-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

It turns out that if one wishes to share the ups in one's life, then one must also share the downs. Even when one just wants to pull the covers up over one's head and not talk about it. It's the price I must pay for being so happy and excited a week or so ago that I was bursting at the seams and had to share with you all...

Sadly, that little dream has come to an end. I miscarried yesterday. Canadian Thanksgiving. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling particularly thankful.

However, 24 hours have passed and I'm gaining some perspective. And I realize I have a lot to be thankful for:

for yesterday having been a holiday, so my husband was home to care for the kids while I laid in bed and dealt with the pain, both physical and mental
for having a kind and caring husband who does everything he can to make me feel better
for having two amazing children already, whom I love dearly
for having had the opportunity to realize that I do want another baby
for being young and healthy enough to be able to pursue that dream

The list is actually much longer than that, but I won't bore you. What it boils down to is this: I'm disappointed, I'm sad, but in general I'm fine. Into each life, a little rain must fall.

Be still sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds the sun is shining,
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life a little rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
- Longfellow

Overheard at My House: The Completely Irrelevant Response Edition

2008-10-10T22:13:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip Pumpkin Spice Latte

Me: Hey! Get your finger out of your nose.

Princess: I need some Cheerios.

Me: And they're hiding in your nose?

The Vacation Correlation

2008-10-06T22:15:00.002-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

*For those who may be wondering: No, I'm not giving up caffeine. In a week or two I won't be able to stomach it. I'm enjoying the last vestiges of my addiction while I still can. :)

So, here I am. Pregnant. Soon to be at the mercy of the whims of my little parasite, who will ensure that every odour is a million times more pungent, that every food is repugnant, and that every pair of my pants no longer fits. Fun times.

The problem with all this? I have a hot pair of tickets to Maui burning a hole in my laptop, and a mother-in-law all set up to watch the children for a week so my husband and I can "reconnect". Yeah, right. Last time I was pregnant I couldn't stand to have him stand close to me, let alone touch me, and I had to change the sheets on our bed every day because the "man smell" he left behind by just sleeping there at night was so overwhelming that I could barely be in the same room. (Shh. Don't tell him I told you that. He has no idea, poor guy.) This went on until I was well out of my first trimester.

I also had plans to sit on a beach chair and sip Mai Tais or Pina Coladas for 7 days. So much for that.

Contemplating our upcoming trip to Hawaii got me to thinking about the other times I've been pregnant. And I came to a surprising realization: me + impending vacation = pregnant. Every time.

Pregnancy #1: Spring 2003. Got pregnant 2 months before a planned trip to New Orleans. Miscarried, had a D&C, and got on a plane 2 days later. To tell the truth, it was good to be away from home for 4 days. Smothering family were making me insane. And the liquor flowed freely in the French Quarter, numbing my broken heart. I haven't been back since, but I'd really like to go and see how my experience differs this time.

Pregnancy #2: Spring 2004. My brother had recently moved to Paris, France, and convinced me that I should come over for a visit. Work commitments kept my husband from joining me, which was sad. Worse? Found out I was pregnant when I was there, and ended up telling my husband over the phone. "Guess what, honey?..." Had the world's worst morning sickness leading to the world's worst transatlantic flight on the way home. Just thinking about it turns my stomach. Not good times. Not good at all.
Two weeks after I got back home my husband and I got on another plane to fly to the Caribbean for a 7-day cruise to celebrate the wedding of good friends. Once again: tropical vacation, no umbrella drinks for me. *sigh*

Pregnancy #3: Spring 2006. Was feeling kind of tired, but not really "pregnant". Had "The Feeling", though, so decided to pee on the stick. Ta da! Got on a plane 2 days later to spend a long weekend with the hubby in Chicago. Had deep dish pizza without beer. Sacrilege.

And so, here I am. Pregnancy #4. Apparently I sealed my fate by booking the trip to Maui. Who knew? (Although if you looked at the other item of commonality on that time line, you would have thought I couldn't get pregnant at any time other than the Spring, wouldn't you?)

Will History Repeat Itself?

2008-10-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip Pumpkin Spice Latte

So, it's still early days yet. Things are good, uneventful. I like it this way. I pee a little more often, I'm a little more tired, but for the most part I'm just regular old me.

But the day is coming, I'm sure of it.

I've been pregnant 3 times before this. The first time I miscarried, and the other two I carried full term with (thankfully) no complications. But every time I've had wicked morning sickness. Correction: all day sickness.

It usually hits at about 6 weeks. With a vengeance. I literally go from walking around doing my usual thing one minute, to worshipping the porcelain gods on an all-too-frequent basis the next minute. And it hangs on until about 14 weeks, when I wake up one morning and *poof* it's miraculously gone. And the rejoicing begins. And I turn into one of those pregnant women everyone hates - the glowing, little basketball carrying, doesn't look pregnant from behind, totally loves being pregnant type. With boobs! Then I nauseate everyone else. Bygones.

The one good thing about spending most of the first 14 weeks of pregnancy feeling like you want to die? I usually lose 10 lbs before I start to gain anything, so I start the post-pregnancy weight loss challenge ahead. That I can be grateful for. With the princess I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans at 14 days postpartum, and with Jr. it was 10 days. Woot.

So my plan for the next week or so? Eat anything and everything that looks appetizing. Because it won't be long before I can't stand the look (or even worse, the smell) of anything. And stock up on saltines. I'm fairly certain I'll be needing them. It's been my experience that history repeats itself.

Finally Figuring Out What I Really Want

2008-10-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

I have a wonderful family. I have a husband who loves me and who works enormously hard to allow me the privilege of being a stay-at-home mother. I have a beautiful, captivating, incredibly smart little girl who will soon turn 4. I have a handsome, funny, sensitive and generous little boy who will turn 2 even sooner. They make my heart sing every day. I have a fat and lazy cat, but he likes to cuddle with me and purr, so I love him too.

And yet, I have had persistent doubts about whether or not this picture of my family is complete. I have wondered if perhaps we should have another child. My husband and I have debated this topic for about a year, since I stopped breastfeeding Jr. and my periods returned. We've gone back and forth, over and over again. We know we have all the love required to bring another child into our lives, and we know we have the means to raise a family of 3 children. But, we've been unsure whether or not we can handle the chaos that another child brings. We've wondered if perhaps being outnumbered by the little people in our house is a bad idea. We've thought about how close we are to being permanently out of diapers and away from sleepless nights.

But we've been unable to say definitively "We're done."

So, we've been kind of laissez-faire about it all. We've said, "We'll see what happens." We've not really been trying, but we've not actively been preventing pregnancy either. It's the chicken's way out - let nature decide if we have another child, right? If it's meant to be, it will happen.

The months have passed, and I think I've felt compelled to pee on a stick all of 3 times. Negative every time. And I've been ok with that - in truth, I never really suspected I was pregnant. I have slightly irregular periods, so it wasn't a big deal to be a day or two late. I never had "The Feeling", which I have had every other time I've been pregnant. And a couple of other times too. "The Feeling" is a bit imprecise. Which is why I'm not trademarking it and making millions. Oh well.

But, lo and behold, "The Feeling" cropped up a couple of weeks ago. In fact, the morning after a little bit of the horizontal mambo. I kinda thought maybe the deed had been done. I started to feel a little twinge of excitement. It was little, but it was there. But, naturally, since no one has come up with a "day after" pregnancy test yet, I had to wait.

I did, however, go to Costco and buy the 3-pack of pregnancy tests for the price of just one test at my local drug store (imagine!). And then I waited some more. My period was due on Friday, but by Monday night I could wait no longer.

Negative. Damn. "That's ok," I thought. After all, there's only about a 50% chance of a positive test 4 days before your period is due. I still had a chance. And I was quickly coming to realize that maybe I really did want it to be positive. (Had you figured that out yet? I'm a little slow apparently.)

I didn't say anything to my husband. I didn't say anything to anyone. I held my hopes close to my chest, feeling them grow exponentially every day.

I was going to wait till Friday. After all, what's a couple of days really? And, if my period showed up on schedule, I could save the other 2 tests. Waste not, want not, right?

I made it to Thursday. I was just about to take the Princess to ballet when some ridiculous notion in my head told me to pee on the stick just before we left. I managed to wrangle a little privacy, ran to the bathroom, and peed on the stick.

Nothing. Crap. Now I was disappointed. If it was going to be positive, it should have been positive by now. 93% of pregnancies will show positive on the day before the period is due, according to the package. Crap.

We went off to ballet, and I stewed over it for the next hour. I was disappointed. Not tearful, not depressed. Just disappointed.

But I was happy, too. Because "The Feeling", and my reaction to it, had shown me that I really did want another baby. I really did want to be pregnant again, terrible morning sickness and all. I really did want to have the chance to hold a newborn close to my breast, feel it suckle, smell it's little head. I wanted my Princess and Jr. to have another little brother or sister. I wasn't done.

I'm not done.

And it's a good thing, too. 'Cuz when I got home I found this waiting for me on the bathroom counter:

Overheard at My House: The Crayola Edition

2008-09-26T15:47:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Observing the Princess engaged in her ambitious project of "drawing the whole world", which apparently involves a lot of sea creatures...

Me: Don't colour on your forehead.

Princess: I'm not, I'm just thinking with this crayon.

Today There's a Little Less Cute in the World

2008-09-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

Have you ever seen this adorable video on YouTube of sea otters holding hands at the Vancouver Aquarium?

Nyac, one of those two otters, was a star attraction at the Vancouver Aquarium. I've seen her many, many times. She was the oldest otter at the Aquarium, having been brought there after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. She was one of the few young survivors of that disaster. Sadly, she died yesterday at 20 years of age.

20 years is toward the upper limit of the life span of a female sea otter, but what is particularly poignant about her death is the fact that she was recently found to have chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This illness has never before been reported in sea otters, according to the veterinarians at the Aquarium. However, there has been a link in other species between exposure to petroleum and this disease. So, it would seem that one of the most significant environmental disasters of the 80's is still claiming it's victims. Very sad.

So, today, there's a little less cute in the world. RIP Nyac, we'll miss you on our next visit to the Aquarium.

The Gap Thinks It's Carly Simon

2008-09-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip Pumpkin Spice Latte

So, last time we all convened here, I told you how much I weighed. Now, prepare to be astonished further as I tell you what size pants I wear.

Are you ready for this?

I'm gonna make you wait a little. There's backstory here...

A couple of weeks ago I did a little Fall shopping at the Gap. I like the Gap - reasonably priced, their cuts seem to fit me well, and it's not too dressed-down or dressed-up for the SAHM lifestyle. Jeans, sweaters, some cute tops, and the odd jacket. Most of my wardrobe owes a debt of gratitude to the Gap.

When I got home I realized I was getting low on hangers in my closet. What's a girl to do? Reorganize. Translation: bag up the stuff I haven't worn in a year and give it to charity. I figured it was a good time to pack up most of the summer stuff in Rubbermaid bins (oh, how I love those things) and dig out my more wintry stuff. Hello change of seasons, here we come!

Turns out that there were a bunch of things in my Winter clothes bin that I hadn't worn in eons. I decided to try on some of the more classic styles to see if I should keep anything. Lo and behold, a couple of pairs of pants I bought a few years ago were size 10. Now admittedly, they were too big. But not a lot too big. I haven't changed that much in a couple of years. I certainly haven't shrunk. My abs are less toned, so I would actually think I should be more generous around the waist, not less. Certainly I shouldn't have just bought size 6 jeans and a size 4 skirt at the Gap a few hours ago.

What's going on, you ask? The Gap has sunk to a merchandising low: vanity sizing.

This obviously has ocurred gradually over time, because I hadn't really noticed that I wasn't changing but my pants size was! Now that I look back, I realize that I wore size 8 jeans for a while, and now I'm down to a 6, but I don't think my body has really changed much. I've been running around after two small kids, but I haven't been working out (until the last couple of weeks), so there's no reason to suspect that I've actually changed sizes. The sizes have changed.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I mean, I've heard of vanity sizing in the past, and I never gave it a second thought. I was all like "oh, yeah, what's there to complain about?" But now I realize that it's probably not a good thing. While I enjoy buying a size 6, I don't really feel like I've earned that pleasure. And, more frightening in this time of increasing obesity and related health problems, there are millions of women out there who are gaining weight but saying to themselves "It's ok, I'm still a size 10. I'm not fat, I wore a 10 when I was in college!" They're deluding themselves and the world of "ready to wear" fashion is helping. Not good.

So, I'm curious to know if anyone else has noticed this happening... if so, what do you think of it? Has it affected you? Positively or negatively? Or am I crazy for even caring? Should I just take my size 6 and be happy about it????

Are You Gonna Eat That?

2008-09-18T22:24:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip Pumpkin Spice Latte

I am hungry. I am hungry all the time lately. It's crazy.

I'm not a person who's ever cared much about her weight. I'm not exactly skinny, but I'm no lumbering cow either. (Although, after seeing a cow being mounted by a bull in a field while driving in my car the other day, I have a whole new respect for cows. Holy schlong, Batman.) I'm 5'6" and have a small to average frame on which I carry anywhere from 135-140 lbs generally, which gives me a "healthy" BMI of roughly 22. (Yes, I just put my weight on the internet. I must be on crack.) I could stand to lose 10 lbs, but hey, who couldn't?

I've never been on a real diet in my life. I went through that anorexic, eat only popsicles phase when I was in high school, but I wouldn't exactly call that dieting. I consider myself lucky to have never really needed to monitor what I eat, or deprive myself in any way. All that being said, I make an effort not to eat like a cow. Or a whole cow at one sitting. (I seem to have cows on the brain. Really, you should have seen the size of that thing. Wow.) I try to eat reasonably healthily, but I usually fail miserably. I eat too much bread and refined sugar. I have a serious weakness for potato chips. I do manage to eat fruit and vegetables, but in nowhere near the number that the Canada Food Guide recommends. I drink a lot of coffee. I'm chronically dehydrated because coffee is largely the only thing that I drink. (Maybe if I smoked I could be a supermodel.)

Where was I going with all this? Oh yeah...

Anyway, lately I have been massively hungry. Eat a whole cow kind of hungry.

You see, I recently started going to the gym. Many, many, many moons ago I used to go to the gym fairly regularly. This was before I had children who ate up every spare second of the day. (And then some.) This was actually before I did my residency, during which time there was no such thing as a spare second. (There's a reason why the motto for residency is: Eat when you can, sleep when you can, pee when you can. You never really know when you might get the opportunity again. Funnily enough, people don't stop dying because you haven't eaten in 12 hours. Go figure.)

Where was I?

Right. Going to the gym. I realized quite a while ago that I was getting no exercise whatsoever. (Not that chasing a toddler and a preschooler isn't exercise, but it's not quite what I was thinking of.) This wasn't an issue from a weight point of view, for the reasons I outlined above. Although I could really use a little toning on that mommy tummy I have. The bigger issues for me were that I was tired all the time and I was yelling at my kids all the time. I realized that both of these things could be solved by exercise. Going to the gym would give me (1) time for myself, (2) more energy, and (3) an outlet for my stress. It seemed like a great idea. Sadly, it took more than 6 months to get off my ass and make it happen. But, better late than never, right?

So, I've been going to the gym fairly regularly since the beginning of the month. I'm not in as bad a shape as I thought I was, which was a pleasant surprise. Turns out that I can do 30 mins of fairly intense cardio without wanting to die. And I can actually remember how to use some of the weight equipment without looking like a total dork. Most of the time.

But there have been 2 unexpected side effects to this new exercise regime. I'm hungry all the time (have I mentioned that?) and I constantly need to pee. I'm eating constantly, which must be completely negating every calorie I burn at the gym. *sigh* And I have to pee 800 times a day due to the extra water I'm drinking when I work out. Remember the part up there where I said I spend my life chronically dehydrated? Well, the bonus to that is that I only had to pee a couple times a day. Completely tolerable. Now I need to pee all the time, and it's driving me bananas. Minor problems in the grand scheme of things, I know, but driving me batty no less. Bygones.

So, anyway, the short story (if you've bothered to read this far) is that I'm trying to get my sorry body into some sort of shape that doesn't resemble gelatinous goo. I'm hoping that it will make me feel more attractive in a bikini by the time our Hawaii trip rolls around. Maybe if things go well I'll even buy a new bathing suit. I'll keep you up on my progress. Maybe there will even be pictures. Of the bathing suits, not of me in them. What do I look like? Some kind of nutter? I'm willing to post my weight on the internet and tell you about how often I pee, but there's no way in hell I'll share shots of me in a bathing suit. Not a chance. :)

Um, What's a Goober?

2008-09-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Anniversary Blend with Extra Cream

So I went out on a hot, international date tonight. You might have heard about it. I was a little disappointed by the lack of cavity searches taking place, but the Tar-jay action more than made up for it.

Total wait time at the border? Nearly an hour.
Company? Fantastic.
Starbucks lattes consumed? None. *gasp*
Number of times we questioned MapQuest's directions? Numerous.
Number of U-turns made? I lost count.
Drinks consumed? One chocolate martini and one zippy zinfandel.
Slabs of red meat? Two, medium rare.
Tubs of popcorn? One, but it was ridiculously large.
Introductions to obscene movie pleasures involving popcorn and chocolate? One, and she'll curse me for it later. ;)
Number of pee breaks? Only two. (I know, I'm shocked too.)
Frequency with which we incredulously asked "What was Meg Ryan thinking?" Every 30 seconds.
Ultimate verdict on the movie? Surprisingly good.
Ultimate verdict on the date? So, when are we going again?

Thanks for the great time! *mwah, mwah* See you when the monster-in-law gets into town? *grin*

It's Funny 'Cuz It's True

2008-09-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip Pumpkin Spice Latte

Tina Fey for Vice-President!

(Apparently my laptop has Republican leanings. I've tried 30 times to embed this video, and every time my computer crashes. So just go watch it. You'll be glad you did.)

***Edited to add: So how many people out there think Tina Fey is secretly voting Republican in this election, just so she can get to do that for the next four years? Yeah, me too! :)

Love Is In the Air

2008-09-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte, Extra-Hot

This weekend I was surprised and honoured to receive an award from not one, but two bloggers! My cup runneth over!

Whiney Momma and Denise RMT both gave me this adorable little doodle:

Whiney Momma and Denise RMT are both pretty new to me, so in the spirit of new friendships, I'd like to pass this award on to some great bloggers I've really just gotten to know this past summer (even though it already seems like I've been reading their blogs forever!).

Janet at From the Planet of Janet - Janet's kids are all grown up now, but she still has tons of hilarious stories about them. Apparently the trials and tribulations of parenthood aren't confined to the preschool years. Who knew?!?

Kelley at Magneto Bold Too - You never know what you're going to get when you read one of Kelley's posts. You may need to change your underwear because you laughed so hard you peed your pants. You may need a kleenex to wipe a tear from your eye. You may need to buy a new pair of shoes because her fabulous ones make you throw yours in the garbage in shame. You may need to go on a trans-continental trek to find out what a clinker tastes like... whatever you may need, you'll definitely need more Kelley on a regular basis.

VDog at VDog and Little Man - VDog is shakin' up the internetz with a little glimpse of the cracker. You'll love her. And that little curly-headed blond boy she hangs with. Go now - you'll see why.

Jim at The Busy Dad Blog - Jim has cracked the blogging glass ceiling (you didn't know it worked in reverse for daddy bloggers, did you?) and was recently named to the Hot Blogger Calendar. But his real claim to fame is his Iron Chef title-holding, Lego-wielding adorable son Fury. Just doesn't get any better than a kid who can invent Lego Mr. Lady. Really.

Ok, you can go now. Read them, love them, tell 'em I sent ya! :)

You've Got to Be Kidding Me

2008-09-02T22:10:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

I went to the movies with my husband tonight. We saw Traitor with Don Cheadle, which I'm willing to bet is not a movie that's going to go over well with American audiences. And not because it's painfully slow.

But what shocked me the most was what we saw before the movie even started.

I hadn't heard a word about this movie until tonight. Have I been living under a rock? (Although movie trailers are not exactly common fare on the Treehouse channel, so there's a chance I missed it...)

Am I the only one sitting here going, "Huh?" What was Oliver Stone thinking? You've got to be kidding me.

Really.

Please?

Dinnertime Howl

2008-09-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte, Extra-Hot

It wasn't a good weekend to be a kid at my house.

First off, we took away Jr.'s soother. Which went remarkably well. Just goes to show that you may think you know your kids, but when you least expect it they'll surprise you. I'm glad this time it was a good kind of surprise.

Then, we decided to push our luck. Remember long, long ago, in the olden days of this blog (last November) when I told you all about how the Princess had been eating only bread and cheese for about a year? And we had read all the books and tried all the tricks and seen every specialist under the sun to get her to eat anything. Anything. Yeah, well, none of it worked. And she continues to eat only bread and cheese and the occasional McDonalds' hamburger. And I've let go of all my guilt about it (on the advice of the specialists following her case) because it was making me insane. And we gave up on all the heavy-handed tactics.

Well, what we discovered was happening was that she wasn't growing out of it like we were told she would, and her brother was turning into his older sister. Jr. eats very little more variety of foods than his sister. And this weekend we decided enough was enough.

We became hard-core parents at suppertime. The last few nights I have refused to be a short-order cook and make a different meal for everyone at the table. The last few nights I have served everyone the exact same food. And I've insisted that if they want to eat something other than what I'm serving, they have to at least try one thing on their plate. Or else they get nothing.

Now, I know, I know. The fact that I'm willing to make a grilled cheese for a child who will try a bite of regular food off their plate isn't exactly being militant, hard-core, food nazi. But, it's a big change at our house, and our kids have not taken to it kindly.

But they have both tried foods that have not crossed their lips since the days of jarred baby food.

That, my friends, I consider a major accomplishment. Mock me if you must.

Now, of course, that does not mean that either of these children consumed everything in front of them. In fact, neither of them ate more than one calorie's worth of a foreign food. But they did try them, and that's a road we've never travelled before. The Princess consumed a bite of broccoli (on two occasions!) and a bite of carrot. And Jr. tried some chicken and a carrot.

Yes, people, these are glory days.

Unless you measure less than 4 feet tall and live under my roof. Because suddenly your parents have morphed into monsters and your life has turned into a living hell. With broccoli at every turn. Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!!!

Soo-der

2008-08-30T21:27:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

Jr. will be 2 in November. At nearly 22 months now, he's still using a soother. Much later than we had planned. (But then, when do things ever go as planned?) It's been restricted to naptime and bedtime for several months now, but the time has come to kiss the ol' soother goodbye.

My husband is on vacation for the next week, so we decided to go cold turkey on the soother, starting today. We figured we'd be able to cope better with the inevitable wailing and nighttime wakening without an easy way to put him back to sleep if we were well-rested and able to work as a team.

I've been steeling myself for this for about 2 weeks now. I seriously considered buying earplugs.

We decided to try to work Jr. up to the loss of his bedtime pal by talking it up over the last couple of weeks and reading a "No More Pacifiers" book 80 times a day. Although the book has been a hit with him, we're fairly certain he doesn't get the message. At all. But, he does seem to get it when we talk about him being a "big boy" and not needing it anymore, and there's been a lot of practicing saying "bye-bye" to the soother. (Immediately followed by Jr. saying, "Soo-der? In mouf? Pweez?" Ok, so maybe he's not getting the message so much. Bygones.)

Anyway, as I said, today was the day. Naptime rolled around and we said "goodbye" to the soothers and Mommy took them away. Daddy put Jr. down for his nap, and we braced for the screaming.

Scream, he did. But not the bloodcurdling, agonizing, wail till you're hoarse and you choke on your snot and puke kind of screaming. In fact, he put up what I would call a 6/10 on the tantrum scale fit, and then slammed his door and whimpered himself to sleep. It was all over in less than 3 minutes. I was stunned.

He woke early from his nap, likely because he stirred a little and didn't have his soother to lull him back to sleep. He was very whiny and clingy all afternoon, and there was a lot of crying at suppertime, but all in all he seemed to cope ok.

Bedtime tonight was (miraculously) even better than this afternoon. There was a lot of whimpering and whining for the soother when he was put to bed, followed by some loud crying, but no real screaming fits. He went to sleep within half an hour of being put to bed.

Frankly, I'm in shock. I never imagined he would give it up so easily. Of course, I may be getting ahead of myself with the patting on the back. We haven't made it through the night yet.

You're all welcome to mock me tomorrow for speaking too soon when I'm complaining about having gotten up with him for the day at 5 am. (Don't worry - I stocked up on coffee today just in case. And toothpicks to keep my eyes open.)

*****Edited to add: He only woke once through the night, and he went back to sleep after only a minute or two of whimpering. He got up at 6:45 am, which is his usual wake-up time. I think I've used up all my good fortune on this one project. If you need me, I'll be spending my day waiting for the other shoe to drop. Or the meteor to fall on my house... :)

This Better Be Worth the Pain in My Ass

2008-08-29T20:52:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Venti Gazebo Blend with Extra Cream

All I want is to book a vacation package to Maui. That's not much to ask, is it? Really?

We have one of those fabulous credit cards with a points system. (Come on, don't you?) We've always liked it because it's not restrictive - you're not collecting points for only one particular type of reward like Aeroplan miles or Air Miles or whatever. It's one of those all-purpose type points plans - you can use it to get stuff, book vacations, buy investment certificates, convert to cash, etc. etc.

Sounds pretty sweet, doesn't it?

A little more than four years ago that points system provided me with a round-trip ticket from Vancouver to Paris to visit my brother for 2 weeks, and it didn't cost me a dime. I loved it.

At that time, my husband and I combined our accumulated points to book that trip. Since then, we've been happily accumulating points with a similarly extravagant trip in mind.

Or so we thought...

Turns out that, while it's fabulous that we each hold our own credit cards with the same bank, we can no longer combine our points. WTF??? So, now we're stuck with only half of our point balance to use toward our trip to Maui. I cannot tell you how much that sucks. Our combined points total would have taken care of more than half the cost of the entire vacation. But now, it's not nearly as appealing to use those points.

Points program bureaucracy sucks.

But do you want to know what's even more irritating than finding out that we can't combine our points to make our vacation so much more affordable???? The fact that I've spent the better part of this week trying to get through to the operators at the goddamn points program to book this effing package. Only to find out that it's not so worth my while to use my points in that fashion anyway. Total waste of my time. And, you know, I have so much of that what with the toddler and preschooler whirling dervishes screaming and yelling and trashing my house.

*sigh* I need this vacation more than ever. Excuse me while I go and do what I should have done in the first place: book online. Will I ever learn?

ABC, Easy as 1-2-3...

2008-08-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte, Extra-Hot

Ok, so I'm still having a little trouble relocating my blogging mojo. When this happens, I often find that doing a meme or two can help me get back into posting. Conveniently, the lovely MommyTime over at Mommy's Martini recently tagged me. So, in honour of Jr. who currently loves to sing his ABCs, read on to find out more fabulously interesting (ha!) things about Latte Mommy:

A. Attached or single? Attached. Married 8 years now to a man who loves me to death, despite the fact that I'm an extraordinary pain in the ass. And who loves me enough to never look at my Visa bill. Possibly his best quality. *grin*

B. Best friend? Hmm... this really shouldn't be a difficult question to answer, but it is. Sad reflection on my life. Oh well, that's another post. I guess I'd say Kim, who was my maid of honour, and who lived in my neighbourhood up until this past Spring. However, now she lives in Edmonton, and we just don't talk enough anymore. Sucks.

C. Cake or pie? Mmm...*drool*.... pie. Definitely pie. Preferably lemon meringue, but I love an old-fashioned apple any day. (Of course I wouldn't turn down a slice of cheesecake. Can I choose both???)

D. Day of choice? I've always been a fan of Saturday. It's a weekend day, therefore intrinsically better. But it's not Sunday, which has the threat of Monday looming over it, tainting its' fabulousness. It's a great shopping day, and a great date night. All around good.

E. Essential item? Coffee. Definitely coffee. Makes my world go round.

F. Favorite color? Blue. (How incredibly boring am I?) It's the colour of blue jeans, the sky, my childrens' eyes... all good.

G. Gummy bears or worms? If I have to choose, I'd go with bears. But, frankly, I'm not a fan of gummies. However, I'm never one to look down my nose at someone offering me candy...

H. Hometown? I come from a small, very small town in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. Also known as God's Country.

I. Indulgence? Anything at the spa. Massage being at the top of the list.

J. January or July? July. As long as it's not too hot.

K. Kids? Two. The Princess will be 4 in December and Jr. will be 2 in November. Contemplating number 3...

L. Life isn’t complete without? Family. As crazy as mine make me, life would be very empty without them.

M. Marriage date? June 3, 2000.

N. Number of brothers & sisters? Two older sisters, one older brother. They were 11, 10, and 8 when I was born, so I had the best of both worlds growing up. I was essentially an only child who had siblings. It was good.

O. Oranges or apples? I'm totally stealing MommyTime's answer here - clementine oranges are my hands-down favourite. I've always called them Christmas oranges, because when I grew up that was the only time we could get them.

P. Phobias? Spiders. Anything that crawls, really. Heights. It's a long list.

Q. Quotes? Ugh. I can never think of these things when someone asks... I'll fall back on this one: "Some days you're the bug, some days the windshield." Deep, huh?

R. Reasons to smile? Every day I spend at home raising my children rather than slaving at a career I didn't enjoy gives me reason to smile.

S. Season of choice? Fall. I love the cool (but not cold) weather, the crisp freshness of the air, the sense of new beginning, the colours of the leaves, eating comfort foods, using my fireplace, etc. etc.

T. Tag seven peeps! Gah! I hate tagging people. If you think you might want to do this, consider yourself tagged. :)

U. Unknown fact about me? I'm ridiculously shy and I have a total phone phobia. I hate having to call people. I have no idea why.

V. Vegetable? Potatoes. For their versatility and ease of preparation.

W. Worst habits? Procrastination. I am the queen of procrastination. And swearing. I love the f-word, and I use it a little too often, but I'm getting better. Honest.

X. X-ray or ultrasound? Ultrasound. It's the medium I trained with, and it allowed me my first glimpses of my children. Best medium, hands down.

Y. Your favorite food? A perfectly seasoned and grilled steak.

Z. Zodiac sign? Taurus. With the stubbornness to match.

So that's it - a look at me from A to Z. Don't you feel enlightened now? ;)

The Phoenix - Remix

2008-08-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

I really hate when I get behind on my blogging. It's like kryptonite. No matter how much I want to type out a few words and hit publish, I just can't seem to make it happen. Inertia sets in and I find myself going days, weeks without writing a word. I hate it.

Time to get back on the horse. Excuse the unintelligible rambling to follow - it usually takes me a few days to get back up to speed...

I seem to have recovered from my "vacation" finally. I can't believe how long it took. I'm not usually one to fall victim to jet lag, but this time I was zonked. I went to bed before 10 pm for about a week. It's now 10 o'clock once again, and I'm seriously thinking about heading up to my bed. But, Jr. did have me up at 5:15 this morning, so I guess there's a good reason for that. I pray he doesn't do that again tomorrow. There's only so much that caffeine can make up for...

Now that I've gotten to the other side of my jet lag I'm planning my next vacation in earnest. Maui here I come!!! I've gotten most of the details sorted out, and should be making a firm booking tomorrow. My MIL is going to come out and take care of the kids for a week. I don't think I've ever been so grateful for having good in-laws!!! My husband and I haven't spent more than a night away from our kids since the Princess was born in 2004. That's a very long time. I'm not sure we'll know what to do with a whole week to ourselves! (Aside from coming home with an early #3 of course!)

Now that I know I'm going to be spending a week on the beach in November, I have to get my act together and get going to the gym. No one wants to see me in a bathing suit in my current shape. We're members at our local YMCA, and it's time for me to start taking advantage of our membership. They have childminding, so I'm planning to start dropping the kids off a few days a week and hitting the cardio machines. The "alone time" itself is worth the effort. Imagine - a couple of hours a week with just me and my iPod. Heaven. Maybe then I'll have half a clue when people on Plurk start talking about music...

Alright - that's enough mindless rambling for tonight. If you've made it this far, be sure to head on over to visit OHmommy at Classy Chaos. She's giving away the most remarkable pair of shoes - you just won't believe your eyes!

Giddy with Excitement

2008-08-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Gazebo Blend with Extra Cream

Have you ever discovered something that makes you so excited that you just have to share it with everyone you know right this minute?

I'm breathless. My heart is beating rapidly. I'm giddy with excitement.

I'm a total geek, but this is what has me in a twitter.

It's like a dream come true. I knew that major universities offered course material for free on the internet, but I'd never bothered trying to surf around and search it all out. Now my new loves at iTunes have done the work for me. I want to make out with them. I want to have little iTunesU babies. And then I want to teach them all about world history and fine art and Shakespeare and physics and....

If you're looking for me, I'll be in school. Grinning like a fool.

Like a Phoenix, Rising From the Ashes...

2008-08-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte, Extra-Hot

Once again, here I am resurrecting this blog from the ether after a prolonged (and probably completely unnecessary) absence. It's a wonder I have any readers any more. Why on Earth do you people put up with me? I don't know, but I love you for it.

So, the Latte Family went on vacation. For 2 long, painful weeks visiting family on the other side of this vast country of ours. I can barely believe I survived.

I shall now proceed to steal shamelessly from one of my bloggy loves and provide you with a sketch of my vacation in numbers. I hope you don't mind, my darling MommyTime. For those of you who read her vacation recap earlier this week, beware. Mine is not nearly as bright and cheerful. But, then, neither am I really. Deal with it. *grin*

Here it is:

Number of days away from home: 15
Distance travelled: 6000 km
Hours spent on plane to get to destination: 9+
Hours spent sitting on plane on tarmac in Vancouver waiting to take off: 1.5
Number of assholes on the plane who yelled at me to keep my kid quiet: 1
Number of nearby passengers who told him off for yelling at me: 4 (I love them)
Connections missed: 1
Extra hours spent in Toronto airport: 3
Time arrived in Halifax with 2 small children: 2 am
Amount of luggage that arrived with us: none
Time children went to bed: 4 am
Time they woke up: 8 am
Hours spent whining and crying the next day: countless
Number of flights our baggage arrived on the next day: 3 (????)

The "vacation" continues...

Number of times we schlepped ourselves from place to place to satisfy family who seemed to think that travelling 6000 km wasn't enough for us: 8
Number of times the Princess fell out of a strange bed: 4
Number of times she landed on her brother who was sleeping on the floor next to her bed: 1
Number of times Jr. covered his car seat in diarrhea: 1
Number of times he covered it in puke: 1 (not the same day - I'm thinking I might burn the car seat)
Number of minutes of The Dark Knight that I missed because Jr. shared his illness with me: approx 30 (don't tell me how it ends)
Number of hospital visits: none this vacation (very unlike us)

Number of dollars this "vacation" cost us: way too many for something that didn't feel much like a vacation
Number of times my husband and I swore we are getting away on a real vacation this year: a million
Number of hours I've spent on the internet researching a trip to Hawaii for just me and hubby this fall: many, many

I'm so glad to be home, I can't even tell you. But the worst part of all is the crazy number of your posts that I missed while I was away. Well over 900 posts in my reader when I got back. Much as I hate to do it, there's going to be a lot of "mark all as read" going on over the next few days. Please forgive me. If there's a post of yours that you think I shouldn't miss, email me. I promise I'll catch back up with you all soon!!!!

Where In the World....?

2008-08-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

Latte Mommy is not dead, despite all evidence to the contrary. On vacation with very little internet access. Very similar to dead.

Hopefully to be resurrected soon! Missing you guys! (And my reader is exploding - aaack!!!)

Overheard at My House, Careful What You Ask For Edition

2008-07-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

The Setting: Suppertime, in the kitchen, mommy cleaning up after supper. Small boy clinging to mommy's legs and wailing. Very loudly. For no particularly good reason.

Husband: Jr., what's the trouble?
Jr.: wahh, wahhh!!! Up! Up!
Husband: Jr., do you want to come up with Daddy?
Jr.: No. wail, wail, cling, cling
Husband: Do you want a hug?
Jr.: No.
Husband: Do you want a tickle?
Jr.: No. wail, wail, cling, cling to Mommy ongoing
Husband: Do you want to hang upside down?
Jr.: No.
Husband: Do you want to read a book?
Jr.: No.

The questions continue on, the response unchanging. The wailing and clinging to Mommy's legs ongoing. Poor Mommy unable to choke down the last of her meal and clean up after supper...

Then Mommy thinks she's clever:

Mommy: Jr., do you want to wail and cling to Mommy's legs?
Jr.: Yeeeeeeees, wail, wail, clinging with more fervor.

I can't win.

What's on Your Nightstand? July 2008

2008-07-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte, Extra Hot

I absolutely love books. I love reading books, but I also love the way they feel in my hands, the crisp turn of the page, the way they smell. I love the covers of books. I have been guilty of buying many a book just because the cover captivates me. I am, apparently, a marketing department's dream.

Today I discovered a new website called 5 Minutes for Books. That may sound familiar to you because it's an offshoot of the 5 Minutes for Mom site. I haven't had much time to really peruse the site, but when I saw their topic for today I had to participate in their new monthly carnival: What's on Your Nightstand?

The idea is that each month you take a photo of the books you are currently reading or are about to start reading, maybe give a little blurb on why you chose a book or who gave it to you, maybe give a little review of what you're reading right now, that sort of thing. Then you share it with everyone by using the little Mr. Linky on the 5 Minutes for Books site.

I always have a monster stack of books around that are waiting to be read. The fact that we recently moved into our new house means that there is a box in my basement waiting to be unpacked that has a whole bunch of books I've been meaning to read. (The road to hell, as they say...) But that box remains to be unpacked. So the stack of books by my bed is actually rather small right now. In fact, it's about the same size as the stack of books I've recently read that haven't made it to a bookshelf yet. But, enough about my lazy ways...

I present, for your viewing pleasure, the books on my nightstand as of this moment:

The one at the top is the one I'm currently reading, Emily Giffin's Love the One You're With. On the recommendation of a friend, I've read all of Giffin's books in the last two weeks: Something Borrowed; Something Blue; and Baby Proof. They're all light, easy summer reads, but not classic "chick lit". They have a little more substance, they're a little more believable, the characters are a little more engaging. This is not great literature, by any stretch, but it is certainly enjoyable reading. I'd recommend them highly. I'm currently on chapter 14 of Love the One You're With, and probably will finish it before the week is out.

Next on the stack is Catherine O'Flynn's What Was Lost, a first novel from an author out of the UK. This novel has been nominated for a number of significant awards, and I was drawn to it on the shelf of the bookstore because I love to "find" a new author at the beginning of their career. It is the story of the disappearance of a little girl told over 2 decades, but is also apparently a clever commentary on the consumerism of our society. I'm intrigued and anxious to start reading.

The third work is a Canadian novel by Gail Anderson-Dargatz entitled Turtle Valley. It is the story of a woman who finds herself put face-to-face with unresolved feelings about a past love when she returns to her childhood home to help her parents evacuate in the face of a devastating forest fire. Anderson-Dargatz has been heavily praised in the media in Canada, but this is my first opportunity to read any of her work. I'm looking forward to cracking the spine on this one.

Lastly there is the well-known book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, recently made into a film. I can't tell you how many people have told me I really need to read this book. Apparently I really need to read this book. It's here in my stack, but I keep moving it to the bottom. I hate when someone builds up a novel or a movie for me - I always fear it can do nothing but let me down. I really hope I'm wrong. I really hope this novel doesn't end up appearing in my stack again next month when this carnival rolls around again. *sigh*

Ok, so that's it. Time for me to go to bed now. But not before I read another couple of chapters...

What's on your nightstand?

Universal Declaration of Women's Rights

2008-07-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

Universal Declaration of Women's Rights - Article #27:

All women should have the right to a monthly facial at a really good spa.

I spent a good chunk of yesterday afternoon having "me time". This involved a little shopping for summer bargains (have you seen some of the great new Fall stuff out - I had to restrain myself) and a lot of lying on a luxuriously soft, heated bed while a nice girl (who reminded me a little bit of Bif Naked) massaged my back (and shoulders, and neck, and arms....) and slathered my face in a variety of luscious-smelling creams and lotions, all in a softly lit room with beautiful music playing in the background.

It was heavenly. Now to convince my husband that this is a necessity of life, not a frivolous expense...

Location, Location, Location

2008-07-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

So, where do you blog?

No, I'm not asking whether you're on Blogger or Wordpress, or whatever. I'm not asking for your URL.

You put a little piece of your self out on the internet every day, often with photos, and people devlop a mental picture of you at your keyboard. But what does it really look like? What's your "command center" like? From whence does your brilliance spew forth?

This, my friends, is the home of Latte Mommy. Please excuse the mess. I spend too much time here, and not enough on the housework.

Laptop, tall (sort of) comfortable stool, stacks of paper and bills precariously balanced (and often falling to the floor), preschool artwork for ambiance. This is Grand Central Station at my house.

I totally love having a laptop, but interestingly I rarely move it from this spot. Other people tell me all the time that they blog (or plurk or tweet) from their couch, from their bed, from all sorts of more comfortable places than that wooden stool up there. However, I never seem to bother moving. I have no idea why. Lazy, I guess! Or totally a creature of habit (also very likely).

Anyway, this is where I am when I write my blog, read your blogs, plurk, tweet, email, cry, laugh, commisserate and (sometimes) shake my fist. This is where it all happens.

Ok, I showed you mine, now you show me yours?

If the Shoe (er..Shirt) Fits...

2008-07-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

My friends went to BlogHer and all I got was...

...this totally amazing tank! I can't believe you guys took time out of your busy weekend to buy me a present. I didn't think it was possible for me to love you more, but now I do!

Thanks, Mr Lady and OHmommy! *mwah*

Distraction with a Capital D

2008-07-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot White Mocha

I cannot stand air travel. Once upon a time, air travel had class. Air travel was considered to be romantic, almost luxurious. People enjoyed it.

Now it's cramped, hot, stuffy, smelly, rude, laden with airborne germs, completely lacking in food or service, and ridiculously expensive. It's all-around miserable. Then you multiply that by 80 when you travel with two children under the age of 4. By 1000 when you have experiences like mine.

In one week the Latte Mommy family will be embarking upon our annual vacation "back home". You see, we live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Everyone else we're related to lives in Nova Scotia. 6000 kilometers away. That's just shy of 4000 miles for all of you Imperial folks. Or 8 long and miserable hours on a plane.

Before I had children, I would have taken the travel time in stride. Bring a good book, watch the on-board movie, perhaps bring the laptop along... Not anymore. Nope, this is an 8-hour plus exercise in keeping the children busy, fed, and desperately hoping they nap a little. Please?

This is not the first time we've made this trip with small children. So, we have some tricks up our sleeves. There will be lots of snacks. The portable DVD player will be charged up and loaded with a brand new movie they've never seen before, as well as some old favourites. We've picked up new books and toys that they are not allowed to open until we embark upon our trip. Favourite lovies and blankies will be coming along for reassurance and lulling into naptime.

But, we're not experts. Although we make this trip annually, we are not what one would call "seasoned" at travelling with children.

This is where you all come in: What's your best tip for travelling long distance with children? Take pity on me and share your pearls of wisdom. The other 350-odd people on the plane are counting on you! ;)

I Want the Body, But Not the Drama

2008-07-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Every once in a while, I say something ridiculous about how I'd love to be 18 again. I must be insane. Yes, I'd love to get back that body that, at the time, I was too self-conscious to put into a bikini (was I blind?). Yes, I'd love to get back those carefree, no responsibility days where I could do damn near anything I wanted. Yes, I'd love to once again be able to drink like a fish, stay out all night, and still make it to my 8:30 class. Those were the days.

But, hell no, I do not want to be a teenager in 2008. Too much technology.

I'm not sure how kids are surviving the teenage years during this time of instant information. Cell phones snapping pictures at your life's most inopportune moment. Instantaneous updates of Facebook or MySpace (or God knows what other site I'm not cool enough to know about) sharing with anyone and everyone you know that you just got your period all over your white pants in the hallway at school. Uploads of that unfortunate video of you doing who knows what embarrassing activity to YouTube for the whole world to see. Finding out that your boyfriend broke up with you because his status changes to "single" on Facebook. Etc., etc.

I grew up in a small town, and I can tell you that information moved very quickly. And this was before teenagers carried cell phones! But the rumour mill in my neck of the woods had nothing on what every teenaged girl or boy goes through today. I don't think I would have survived it. (Although it would have been helpful to find out that my rat of a boyfriend had been cheating on me a little sooner than I did when I was 18. He was a dog.)

My kids are only 3 and 1, but I'm already dreading what they'll have to go through when they're in jr high and high school. I have a niece who's 11, and I worry all the time about how she's doing. She's kind of the quiet and sensitive type, and I feel like she's at risk of being torn apart by the wolves.

Those of you who are parenting pre-teens and teens right now - what is it like to parent in the age of instant information? Those of you who have small kids like me, do you suffer from my problem (creating extra problems for you to worry about, as if your current problems aren't enough)? Do you think you'd survive the cut-throat world of high school if you had to do it again today?

Me? I'd be screwed. (And not in the good way.)

Naked at the Front of the Classroom

2008-07-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte, Extra-Hot

I blog anonymously. Outside of people I have met through blogging, no one I know in real life reads my blog. I kind of like it that way. I like not having to worry about the potential pitfalls of sharing my blog with friends and family - no need to censor myself, no need to worry how my posts might be interpreted, no need to deal with the fall-out if I bitch about someone, no need to expose myself to scrutiny, etc., etc. No need to feel like I'm living that dream where you're standing at the front of your grade 10 classroom, totally naked.

You'd think it would be very freeing. You'd think that I would bare my soul here on this blog, hang out all my dirty laundry, show you all my scars, share with you all my secret hopes and fears.

I do, to some extent. But, the truth is, I'm just not that damn controversial or interesting. As such, it turns out that I haven't written all that much on this blog that I wouldn't share with people I know in real life.

The joke here is that blogging has become such an important part of my life that I now feel all weird and awkward and at a loss for conversation around people because I have this big, giant, all-consuming secret that I can't share with them. I desperately want to say, "Hey, you know what, I wrote about that on my blog last week," or "so-and-so left the funniest comment," or "one of my blog friends totally recommends this website" or "check out this video that so-and-so put on their blog," or any of a thousand other things that pop into my head. But I can't. Not without admitting (and explaining) that I have a blog and a ton of really good friends that I've met through that blog.

I've debated, off and on, about telling my friends and family about my blog. But then I've realized that they probably just wouldn't "get it." I didn't really get it until I started doing it, and even then it took a couple of months before I caught on to what an amazing community this is. I am afraid that they'll give me "that look", you know the one, the "ok, so being a SAHM has made you a little crazy and now you're hanging out online, and perhaps you should consider leaving the house a little more often." Yeah, that one. I don't look forward to being on the receiving end of that one.

So, I continue on, status quo, living a double life. Perpetually debating the pros and cons of introducing my two lives to one another. Too frightened to open the door because, once open, it can never again be closed.

Move Over Cool Chicks...

2008-07-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

...make room at the bar. I'm settling in on my stool and ordering a drink.

I'm flabbergasted, I'm honoured, I'm downright giddy.

I'm on Alltop!

Of course, if you go visit the Moms page on Alltop, you'll have to be patient...let it load...scroll way down to the bottom... but, lo and behold there I am. Grinning.

Now, to figure out how to bribe my way to the top of that page... Hmmm.... *wink, wink*

They'll Always Be There for Each Other

2008-07-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Gold Coast with Extra Cream

Jr. is 20 months. He and his little wiener have been pals for a long time, dating back to the Penis Palooza days. Lately, though their relationship has evolved to the verbal stage...

On the change table, undressing for bath. The diaper comes off...

Jr.: Hi, Penis!

Jr. goes from lying to sitting position so I can remove his shirt. He closes his legs together, and lo and behold, his penis disappears...

Jr.: Where you go?

I pick him up and stand him on the floor.

Jr.: Tug, tug on the penis... There you are! Peek-a-boo! I see you, Penis!

Peek-a-boo with your penis. Good to know that boys have a friend who's always there to play with them.

Frantic

2008-07-20T07:58:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte, Extra-Hot

I had a terrible dream last night.

I dreamed that I lost my son. I was in New York City, at a triathlon (the life goal of a character in a book I'm reading), watching the runners as they approached the finish line. I wasn't alone. I knew people there, but I didn't know any of them. Not in real life. So, when it happened I felt very alone.

I recall it being early evening. It was overcast and cool, but the evening light was breaking through the clouds and getting into my eyes. I was straining to see the runners, watching in particular for someone. Someone... I don't know who. Apparently someone important enough that I was struggling to see over the crowd, up on my tiptoes, holding my camera over their heads, trying in vain to get a picture as my someone crossed the finish line. I recall feeling very proud. And very distracted.

Many minutes passed. The runners crossed the finish line in packs, the crowd moved and shuffled. People came, people left.

Then, at some point, I remembered. My son. He was supposed to be with me, but where was he? I looked down, no Jr. I looked around me, turning in frantic circles like a dog chasing his tail. No Jr. The tide of panic began to wash over me like the pounding surf in a storm. I felt like I might vomit, but I didn't have time for that. I looked around me at all the unfamiliar faces, frantic. No one to help me. No one who loved me or my son enough to feel my fear and act with the sense of urgency I felt was required. I was crushed. The tears came to my eyes. "Please, someone, anyone, have you seen a little boy? He's 20 months. His name is Jr. He was here just a moment ago, right here. Have you seen him? Can you help me find him, please?" Panic.

The scene evolved, as scenes in dreams will do. I was in a large building, I think it was a hospital. I continued to search, floor by floor, closet by closet, stairwell by stairwell. The sense of fear was still strong, the panic was still there, but my search had become less frantic. Like I had been searching for a long time and I was beginning to lose hope. After all, this wasn't where I had lost him. I had lost him. I had done this. I had been careless and irresponsible. The frantic feeling began to be replaced by a terrible weight, the heavy, dragging, choking yoke of guilt hung about my neck.

I had a hollow, empty feeling inside. My chest still felt like there was a freight train rushing through it, that panicky, fluttery, cannot catch your breath feeling. But my gut was empty. Aching. I was sure he was gone. Gone from me forever. I was never going to get my little boy back.

For a hospital, there were surprisingly few people around. I thought it must be late at night. I was calling Jr.'s name, but my voice echoed off the walls down the empty, half-lit corridors. Nurses shushed me from their stations, "Patients are sleeping." "But, my son," I pleaded. "He's lost. I lost him. He's so small, only 20 months..."

My search continued. Fruitless. I began to feel hopeless. Devastated. The tears flowed freely.

Then my daughter came into my room and woke me.

I was so happy to see her. So happy to be freed of that horrible dream, the manifestation of my worst fears. So glad to hear my son, down the hall, moving around his room, just having risen from his slumber.

But when she woke me my dream was unresolved. I had not found him. That feeling of panic, of loss, of emptiness, of hopelessness has carried forward into my waking life. The guilt. Unresolved.

So I purge myself of it here. Please take it away.

I Blush

2008-07-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte, Extra-Hot

I've been blogging since August of 2007. Almost a year now. I'm not entirely sure why I started blogging - ostensibly it was "to write", whatever that meant. I didn't really think much about who might read what I wrote, but I thought I'd put it out there anyway. What the hell. The early days were a tad pathetic, but then I got the hang of it, found my voice. And then one or two people actually started to read my blog! At that point, I started to feel like maybe I had an "audience", like maybe I should be writing to entertain that audience, keep them coming back for more. But, I had no idea how... so, I didn't. I just kept writing what entertained me, interested me, drove me crazy, made me happy, made me sad, inspired me... And, amazingly, a handful of you stuck around.

Then, the other day, Stella over at Mountain Momma gave me this little beauty:

But, that wasn't the best part. The real gift she gave to me was one of words:

To LatteMommy because her words
are more powerful than she realizes. Her kindness is unending and she shares the
right amount of humor with the perfect amount of serious.

I don't even know what to say. Powerful. There is no greater compliment. Thank you, Stella. I'm honoured, particularly from someone whose strength and honesty I admire so much.

In turn, I bestow this award upon the two blogging friends with whom I have crossed that filmy barrier between blogging and real-life, and who I am proud to call my real-life friends:

For Mr. Lady, whose talent I admire and who inspires me to up my game on a regular basis, and who remains my most favourite "grown-up", the Heather to my Rachel, I cannot think of anyone who deserves the descriptor "powerful" more than you.

And for MommyTime, who makes blogging fun and "thinky" at the same time, who puts up with a 3-hour time difference to chat into the wee hours with me, who thinks my thoughts and finishes my sentences, and who is undoubtedly my MI doppelganger, you are most definitely loved thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much. How could I not send this to you?

If you do not yet read either of these blogs (I can't imagine how that might be possible, but if that's the case...) you need to click on them NOW and fall in love with them instantly. Trust me, it will be very easy to do.

Is it a Defect on the Y-chromosome?

2008-07-16T17:51:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Earl Grey tea with milk

How is it that my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter can spontaneously learn to bring her dirty dishes to the kitchen and place them on the counter above the dishwasher without being asked, but my 36-year-old husband can be asked daily for 12 years to do the same thing and he can't manage it?

The Best is Yet to Come

2008-07-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Verona with Extra Cream

No parent is perfect. We all make mistakes. And often, when we make those mistakes, we reassure ourselves by saying "I'm doing the best that I can."

But are we really? At the end of the day, is this really the best we can do?

I began thinking about this after reading Kelley's post today at Magneto Bold Too. Her post essentially asked "Are you the person today that you thought you would be 10 years ago?" Although I'm not exactly where I thought I would be 10 years ago (and who is?), my most fundamental self is precisely who I thought I would be: a mother. No, not a mother. Mommy.

But, you know, as I thought about it more, I realized that I am not the mother I thought I would be. Call me naive, but 10 years ago, I thought I would be a very different kind of mother. I thought I would be more together, more organized, more empathetic, more playful, more joyful, more consistent, more inspired, more inspiring... more everything.

Now, I recognize that motherhood is hard. Harder than anyone can possibly imagine before it happens to them. And as hard as motherhood is, it's 1000x harder to do it well.

But, I feel like I've been using that as an excuse. I feel like "I'm doing the best that I can" has become a cop-out for me. When I'm tired and overwhelmed and I yell at my children (no, scream at them), I'm not doing the best that I can. When the Princess asks me to play with her and I say, "just a minute, honey" for 15 minutes straight while I read blogs, I'm not doing the best that I can. When I make hot dogs for supper for the third time in a week because I can't get my act together enough to properly plan meals, I'm not doing the best that I can. When a whole day passes and my kids haven't been outdoors to play, I'm not doing the best that I can. (I could go on all day like this, but you get the gist...)

I feel that I can do better. That I should do better. My kids deserve that much.

So what's stopping me? Am I that selfish? Yeah, sometimes I think so. Am I that insensitive to their feelings? Although I hate to admit it, yes, I think I am. Am I repeating the mistakes that were made by my parents? Most definitely.

I cannot let this continue. For the sake of my children. For the sake of my family. For the sake of myself.

I hereby resolve today, with anyone who reads this as my witness, I WILL DO BETTER. I will become that mother that I envisioned myself to be. I will be proud of the way that I parent. I will make my children proud to have me as a mother, my husband proud to have me as a wife.

I will not be perfect, but I will do the best that I can.

From the Mouths of Babes

2008-07-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Blended Lemonade

There is a children's show out of the UK called In the Night Garden, shown locally on Treehouse. It's really aimed at the toddler set (hence Jr. loves it), but the Princess is not one to be left out. So, when we spotted the plush toys at the store the other day, we picked up one for each of them.

The Princess is now the proud owner of Upsy Daisy, whom she insists upon calling Humpsy Daisy.

(As an interesting aside, Humpsy Daisy can often be found chasing her bed around the Night Garden. Maybe the Princess is on to something. Perhaps I should be watching that show more carefully, rather than reading blogs while my children are otherwise occupied...)

Don't You Hate It When...

2008-07-09T22:26:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

...you are really tired after you put the kids to bed, so you sit on the couch and watch mindless television and then you spend a little time meandering around the hinterland, and then 10:00 pm finally rolls around and you decide to go to bed, but as you're heading upstairs you pass the laundry room and you realize that you were supposed to wash your child's camp t-shirt so she can go to camp tomorrow and you really can't get away with not doing it because there's paint and glitter all over it, so you put in a load of laundry at 10:15 pm when you really wish you were in bed but now you're up for another 40 minutes till the wash cycle is done?

Yeah, I wouldn't know anything about that.

Overheard at My House this Evening...

2008-07-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Iced Passion Tea Lemonade

Me: I have to run out and grab some milk, ok?

My supremely supportive Husband: Um, you might want to do something about your hair first.

Me: What? (Looking in mirror) What's wrong with it?

My supremely supportive Husband: Oh, sorry. I didn't realize that "crazy cat lady" was the look you were going for.

Thanks, hon. Love you, too.

Take That, Houdini

2008-07-04T07:48:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

There I was, minding my own business, unpacking groceries. I hear a little voice.

Mom, I just found a diaper on the floor.

Huh? I didn't buy diapers today. I look up to find the Princess holding a super-saturated diaper by its' tabs, a look of disdain on her face. (Mental survey ensues... she couldn't have gotten that out of the diaper genie, the gate is closed. The only diaper in the immediate vicinity should be on Jr.'s ass. Hmmm...)

I round the corner, wondering what I might find. And there he is.... fully clothed. What the hell?

I go over to Jr., who I might add is looking rather proud of himself. A pat on the bum confirms that Jr. is now going commando.

My child managed to get his diaper off while wearing overalls, and shimmied it out the leg of his pants. He will do great things, I'm sure.

Mmm...Chocolate...

2008-06-27T22:50:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte, Extra-Hot

So, the other day I teased you all with my little Fed-Ex delivery. What was inside, you ask? Well, what would you like the little Fed-Ex fairies to bring to you? How about some free chocolate?

Oh yeah, ladies, I got me some free chocolate to try on for size. A whole lot of it, in fact.

Why, you ask? Well, it seems that Dove Chocolate is coming to Canada, and a word of mouth marketing company out of Toronto called Matchstick Inc. was looking for 300 lucky Canadian bloggers to try it out and share it with their friends. When they approached me, how could I say no? Hasn't it been everyone's dream at some point in their life to have a "job" that paid them in chocolate? (Ok, maybe not, but it sounded good at the time.)

So they sent me my Dove pleasure kit (kinky, no?), and I've been weak in the knees ever since. I've been nom nom nomming chocolate like it's no one's business. I've been handing out cute little "purse packs" of chocolate to people I know. Tell me I'm not popular among the preschool moms for that one! I've been making lists in my fancy leather-bound journal, and I've been toting diapers and sunscreen in my handy new bag.

I now have a new chocolate love. Usually I'm a bit of a chocolate snob, I admit. I'm a dark chocolate fan, and I like my chocolate with a bit of bite. (Of course, this is all because of the health benefits associated with dark chocolate. And red wine... I love being health conscious!) But, the Dusk chocolate has won me over.

Dusk is milk chocolate with a hint of dark, and it is fantastic. Not only does it have a great name, it tastes amazing too. If you're going to try some of this new-fangled Dove stuff, start here. You won't be sorry.

I have to say, this word of mouth marketing stuff is kind of fun!

Now, the blogging purists out there will say I've sold out. I'm whoring myself and my blog out for The Man. But, you know what, I don't care. I'm on a chocolate high, and ain't nothin' going to bring me down.

And now, a message from our sponsor: (What? They gave me free chocolate - I owe them that much!)

Did you read this article? What are your thoughts on Dove?

Click on the link below to let us know!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=JbdWi0CPZKWwex3IJ953iA_3d_3d

Overheard at Breakfast...

2008-06-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Verona with Extra Cream

Princess: Mama, can I have some cheese?

Me: Sure, just a sec. (plurking)

Princess: Great, because I need some protein with my bagel.

Who's teaching her this shit??? Oh, right. That would be me. Damn.

Ding-dong Went the Doorbell

2008-06-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Passion Tea Lemonade (it was hot today, what can I say?)

The Fed-Ex fairies dropped by my house today...

What, oh what, did they bring?

Stay tuned...

Thanks For Your Help, But...

2008-06-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Verona with Extra Cream

It is a well-known fact that if you bring your children into the bathroom with you, they will play with your feminine hygeine products. In imaginative ways, often.

Although I make an effort to assert my need for privacy when Aunt Flo visits, sometimes children will witness the deed. A couple of weeks ago, when Aunt Flo was last at my house (oh, God...TMI), Jr. was one of these witnesses. For the first time, I believe. He was just starting his Klingon phase (which will be the end of me, but that's a whole other post) so he was attached to my leg no matter where I went. He particularly likes to play with tampons (all the pretty coloured packages with crinkly paper wrappers!), so he was intrigued to see me open one and use it. Or at least intrigued was my interpretation of the face he made. Maybe it was horror. Hard to tell in a 19-month-old.

So there I was this morning. Jr. woke early, I dragged myself out of bed and down the hall to fetch him from his room, and then brought him to my master bath so I could ~~wake~~ wash up. As I headed to the potty, Jr. went straight for my vanity, bent on destruction as per his usual routine. Or so I thought. Next thing I know, he's standing in front of me. tampon in hand. "Here," he says, and then stands there expectantly, looking at the tampon, looking there, looking at me, waiting for me to use it.

I appreciate your helpful nature, bud, but maybe this is going a little too far. And besides, Aunt Flo isn't around this week. Thank heavens he didn't flip out because I didn't use it.

I have to start going to the bathroom by myself.

Venting

2008-06-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Gold Coast with Extra Cream

Done now.

Ka-Thunk-Thunk

2008-06-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

There I was. Sitting quietly at my laptop. Contemplating what to blog about this evening. Thinking that you all just wouldn't be interested in the laundry waiting to be folded, the toys all over the floor, the cat yowling at me from next to his half-empty food dish (anything less than overflowing is "unfed" in his mind)...

Ka-thunk-thunk.

The dull, heavy sound comes from above me, ahead and off to the right. Shit.

As I leap up from my chair I expect to hear the wailing begin to echo from the baby monitor. I run for the stairs, bound up them two at a time.

Nothing. Silence. Shit, that can't be good. Now I start to think, which one was it? They both have new beds, and the Princess' is about 80 feet in the air. Better start there.

I burst into the room, causing her to half-sit, confused. Did you fall out of bed, honey? She rolls over, grabbing for her hippopotamus bed partner, mumbling in her half-sleep. Crap, wrong kid. And he's still not crying. This can't be good. Maybe he's knocked himself unconscious...

I rush out the door and burst into Jr.'s room. Sure enough, he's on the floor, with his upper body under the bed (?), ass in the air, squirming about like he's searching vainly for something, starting to whimper.

I rescue him from under the bed, give him a cuddle and a kiss, tuck him back in and supply the items for which I'm sure he was searching - soother and blankie. He eagerly accepts them, still mostly asleep, sighs and closes his eyes. He's ok, thank heavens. I close the door and head back downstairs, grateful that the first fall out of bed didn't result in a bloody nose or an all-out wail fest.

I've been told that when I was small, I fell out of bed every night. I never woke up. I have no recollection of this. Apparently I would just pick myself up and crawl right back into the bed, lay down, and continue sleeping. Truthfully, I find the whole business hilarious. I cannot even imagine how it must have been for my older sisters (with whom I shared a room) to see me do this all the time. I can't imagine how I could be so oblivious to it. Sleep is an amazing thing.

Do your kids do this? Did you do it when you were little? Will I stop having a heart attack every time it happens? Please tell me yes...

Trade Ya!

2008-06-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte, Extra-Hot

So, you may recall from a few weeks ago that we had a little dilemma. Jr. coudn't sleep in his crib anymore, but his crib didn't convert to a toddler bed like his sister's. The Princess wasn't so keen on giving up her beloved bed. After a few weeks of Jr. sleeping on his mattress on the floor, we decided this just couldn't continue. We whipped out our cheerleader voices and convinced the Princess that she was going to have a beautiful new big girl bed. We took her to Sleep Country and let her try them all out. We shopped for new bedding (pink, at the Princess' request). And, yesterday, the new bed finally arrived. There was a flurry of furniture disassembly and reassembly, and now voila! The Princess and Jr. have new beds, new bedding, and (hopefully) everyone will be happy. (Once the dust settles...)

I'm so pleased with how they both look!

Say It Isn't So

2008-06-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Breakfast Blend with Extra Cream

Please tell me I didn't just read this.

I can't believe a 12-year-old (or more likely her mother) would have the nerve to do this.

I can't believe the court would lower itself to hear it.

I'm appalled that they found against the father.

What is this world coming to????

Go Local!

2008-06-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte, Extra-Hot

There are a myriad of reasons to buy locally produced goods. But, with gas prices going up astronomically, and the cost of food going up proportionally, maybe the best reason is your pocket book.

Today, I went to the little farm stand just down the road from my house. I walked there (no gas dollars spent, no pollution, and a little exercise to boot!) and picked up the following items (all grown in British Columbia, many of them at this particular farm, all clearly labelled as having been grown with "no sprays"):

one yellow pepper (half used to make supper)
one red pepper (again, half gone)
one bag o' mushrooms (ditto!)
one bunch of very cute little carrots
one sweet smelling little basil plant (an investment that will reap its' benefits all summer, I hope!)
and one zucchini (completely used at supper, sorry!)

Total cost of said items? Five dollars and forty-two cents.

I know where I'm doing my shopping this summer.

Stockholm Syndrome, Latte Mommy Style

2008-06-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Verona with Extra Cream

An Open Letter to Mr. Lady and 3of3:

Hell, no. I ain't leavin'.

Love,
Kitty

Now There's An Offer I Can Refuse

2008-06-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte, Extra Hot

Tonight at bedtime, the Princess asked me to sleep with her. This has become a frequent request in the last month or two. However, I have strong feelings about children learning to sleep by themselves (which some of you may not share, but that's ok, to each his own). I do not lay down at night with my children, and I don't plan to start.

This is made easier by the fact that the Princess' toddler bed is just not made for two:

Not gonna happen...

Again tonight I pointed out to the Princess that I won't fit in her bed. As I was going out the door, she looked down at the floor, looked up at me and said:

"The carpet is very soft here, Mommy."

Thanks, hun, for your benevolent offer, but I think I'll stick to my Sealy.

It's a.... Whale!

2008-06-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

From the time that the Princess was 6 or 7 months old, I have sung her the same song every night at bedtime. Initially my own choice, now by request. The repetoire has changed over time, but this song is always the anchor...

This was the only YouTube video I could find of Raffi singing just this song. Is it just me, or is he looking old? In my head he remained in his 30's with a scraggly beard, wacky shirt, and suspenders. People like that aren't supposed to grow old, are they?

We are frequent visitors to the Vancouver Aquarium, and naturally the belugas are the Princess' favourite. The next time we go, the beluga exhibit will have some special meaning. They have a new baby beluga!!! Born today at 4:38 pm, weighing a mere 50 kilos! You can read all about it at the Vancouver Aquarium website. They have a cool beluga cam, too, so you can see the new calf in action.

Check out these pics of the new beluga being born (photo credit: Vancouver Aquarium).

Photos like this are proof that the internet is the coolest thing!

Hi, I'm Moldy. Nice to Meet You.

2008-06-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte

The West Coast of Canada is a beautiful place. It has a reputation for being a tad rainy, but it really is beautiful. However, lately? A tad rainy is a major understatement. It's been raining non-stop for over a week now. And it's grey. And it's cold. And, I think I'm getting a little moldy.

And my kids are driving me insane. There is really only a certain amount of time we can spend in the house without someone losing their mind.

The worst of it all is that I think I'm single-handedly responsible for all this bloody rain. Why? The exterior of our new house is finally being painted. Naturally, that means we're getting three months' worth of rain in a week. *sigh* At this rate, they're never going to get my house painted.

Not only is it cold, grey, and rainy, but because they're painting, they've covered the outsides of all my windows with plastic sheeting. Which means that when you glance around, it appears from the inside like the house is surrounded by the thickest bank of fog ever. It's very weird. It verges a little bit on creepy, but I'm trying to keep all those crazy horror movie thoughts buried deep...

This all has to end. I NEED TO SEE THE SUN. If I have to drive all the way to California to find it, damn it, I'm going to locate some sun before this week is over. Mark my words.

How Exactly?

2008-06-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Verona with Extra Cream

I'm definitely getting the short end of the parenting stick lately. I know I'm the stay-at-home parent, I know I don't have to get up for "work" in the morning, I know that things that go on under this roof fall to me by default.

However, I'm not sure how it is that I'm the one who's stuck with the wide-awake toddler at 10:00 pm when I was not the one who neglected to watch the clock at naptime this afternoon.

Where was Latte Mommy at naptime? The grocery store, the recycling depot, the drug store, the bakery... where else? What was Daddy's one job? Keep an eye on the children - one napping, one watching a movie (which turned into a nap). What did Daddy actually do? Dick around on World of Warcraft for the afternoon, completely oblivious to the fact that Jr. slept for nearly 3 hours.

And now, somehow, it's my problem? Pardon?

Sheesh...

You Know You Wanna...

2008-06-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte, Extra-Hot

Ok, so my highly neglected little bloggy blog has a new feature. You must have seen it. There, over there... off to the right. You know you want to click on it. It's going to be my new reason for never getting anything done.

Maybe I'll put some nice pillows and a throw over all those boxes in my dining room and pretend it's the new trend in decorating... Anyone want to come over? We can pull up a couple of boxes and sip lattes.

Prom: It's All About the Drama

2008-06-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte, Extra-Hot

***Today's post is part of the Prom Carnival happening over at Mommy's Martini. Go on over - you know you want to read about all the drama!***

I spent most of my Senior year of high school in a relationship with a guy who was 4 years older than me, and no longer a high school student (come on, I have higher standards than that!). Let's call him A. In truth, our relationship was of the on-again, off-again variety, but in the weeks leading up to prom season we were hot and heavy.

A girl who was in my circle of friends (but not someone I was very close with) also dated an older guy. Who, I might add, was hot. Very hot. Johnny Depp kind of hot. He, likewise, was in the greater circle of friends of my boyfriend.

Confused now? Just you wait... this was a small town.

My plans for prom involved renting my boyfriend a tux, going out to dinner with my group of friends and their dates, and partying the night away. I was sure it was going to be perfect, after all this was the boyfriend who had given me a flashy birthstone ring just weeks before as my birthday present. He was my man. There were many who saw that ring as a "promise ring". (God, it gags me just to write that.) I, however, did not see it that way. But, that's another story for another day...

The girl I went to school with, let's call her T., had no such plans with her boyfriend, J. He had flatly refused to take her to her prom. I believe he said something to the effect of, "No fucking way am I going back to high school for one fucking minute. Go with one of your friends." She was devastated. I recall there being a lot of tears. I recall there being a lot of gossip. Many expected they would break up over this (they didn't). I don't even remember who she ended up going with - I think it was one of our single guy friends from school. Not a bad date, just not who she expected to go with.

Moving on to the immediate pre-prom phase of the story... Two weeks before our prom, completely out of left field, my boyfriend broke up with me. I was stunned. I was devastated. I was angry. I tracked him down and threw his ring back in his face in front of a large group of people at the local "hang out". I called him every name in the book, and then some. I cried. A lot.

I couldn't believe this was happening to me. It was two weeks before my Senior Prom, and I was dateless. My friends commisserated, consoled, and then they turned helpful. They started trying to come up with lists of potential dates, scouring the lands far and wide to come up with some suitable guy to pull me out of my pit of despair. Sadly, there was little in the way of options. I was sure I was going to stay home, hiding under my blankets, sobbing into my pillow, on the most important night of my high school career.

I'll never know who my Fairy Godmother was. I'll never know what twist of fate brought Prince Charming to my door. But, two days before my Senior Prom I got a phone call.

Who called? Who, you ask?

Who kept me from suffering a fate worse than death for a high school girl?

Who?

(Sorry, I love the suspense.) *grin*

None other than J. Yup, J. He of the "no fucking way am I going to prom" tirade to his girlfriend.

J. took me to my Senior Prom. He wore a black suit, he put up with the obligatory (and painful) photo shoot at my house when he picked me up, he sat through dinner with my friends and their dates while his girlfriend glared at us from across the restaurant, he danced with me all night long (I'm fairly certain he and his girlfriend weren't speaking at this point), and he went to the after-party with me. He was a total gentleman, and he saw that I got home safely. I was so grateful, I didn't have the words to express it. I still am, and still don't.

I have my suspicions about how this all came about, but I've never had them confirmed. J. was someone I liked and thought of as a friend over that year that I dated A. I think he didn't want to see me miserable. I think A. felt guilty about breaking up with me (largely, I believe because he didn't want to go to prom). I think that the whole group of guys that hung out together (all of whom I spent a lot of time with, and many of whom considered me to be like a sister) hatched a plan to save the day. I think they were my Knights in Shining Armour.

I may never know the truth, but I know the only truth that matters. I got my Prom. And, I got the requisite dose of drama to make the night memorable. 'Cuz that's what prom's all about.

***PS - I had promised Mommy Time some pics, but I can't find them anywhere!!!! I'm blaming it on the serious lack of unpacking that's been going on around here. If I find them, I promise I'll add them on!

You're Such a Numnah!

2008-05-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Verona with Extra Cream

So, here I am, poring through my reader (which is still crazily clogged up - aack!), with the tv on in the background. I'm not actually watching the tv, but it is loud enough for me to hear. What's on, you ask? The Scripps National Spelling Bee is on ABC - not my first choice of programming, but strangely compelling nonetheless.

And then, I hear this: (excuse the poor video quality - it's the only clip of it I can find right now)

This is possibly the funniest thing I've heard this week. What's better? That kid won the whole thing. Kudos, buddy.

Walt Disney Had it Right

2008-05-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte, Extra-Hot

As irritating as the ride might be, it really is true that it's a small world after all. Yesterday, I was reminded of that courtesy of the blogosphere.

Now, those of you who've been around a while know that I blog totally anonymously. And I like it. So, in the interests of protecting my anonymity as much as possible, I'm going to be a little weak on the details here. However, I'll try not to make it too painful for you.

The Diva is participating in x365 (which is really cool, by the way, you should check it out). There I was, casually perusing her posts, when I saw a name that immediately triggered with me. The post confirmed for me that this person could only be a girl that I went to elementary school with many, many years ago. She and her family moved away from our hometown when we were still quite young, but I remember her still. So, I emailed the Diva, and she agrees that they're probably one and the same. Crazy, huh? She's going to be seeing this person in the next week or so, and she's going to find out for sure. I'm so intrigued to find out what happened to her family!

Although this is a cool example of how small the world is, I have to share with you my most favourite small world story of all...

When I was in university, a girl that I went to high school with moved to Scotland to do post-graduate work at the University of Edinburgh. To help make ends meet, she took a job at a local bar. Not having a Scottish accent, she naturally stood out as being a foreigner. A few days after taking the job, she met one of the bartenders, by the name of Steve. He was Scottish born and bred. He asked her where she was from. She answered "Canada". He said, "Oh, really? What part?" She figured she wouldn't get too specific, given that the guy was just being friendly, and probably didn't know much in the way of Canadian geography. She replied, "the Eastern part." "Oh yeah?," he said, "Where?" "Nova Scotia," she replied, sure that he wouldn't know where that was. "Oh," he said, "What part?" Now she was intrigued, but she still figured he didn't know much about Nova Scotia. "Cape Breton" she answered. "Really?" he said, "Where in Cape Breton?" Now she was flabbergasted. She told him the name of our home town, hardly believing he would know where it was.

"No kidding," he replied, "Do you know Latte Mommy?"

She nearly hit the floor. Turns out that I had dated this guy a couple of years before, when he was a postgraduate student at my university. It was a brief fling, but apparently I was memorable! *grin* I remember him as having the best accent. I could listen to him talk for hours. The memory of it still makes me a little weak in the knees. *sigh*

So, do you have a small world story?

A Completely Theoretical Dilemma

2008-05-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte, Extra-Hot

I'm going to preface this post by saying: No, I am not pregnant. Really.

This past weekend we went to a BBQ at the home of some friends, let's call them Sam and Emma just to make this simpler. Sam and my husband were "friends" in high school, back when we all lived on the East coast. "Friends" in that "hung out in the same crowd" kind of way. What can I say about Sam... he's an asshat. The first time I met him was when my husband and I first started dating (many, many moons ago), and it was in a bar. It's a long story, but Sam was his typical asshat self to me (a person he'd never met before) and I damn near hit him upside the head with a beer bottle he pissed me off so badly. (I admit to being a tad drunk, but my husband didn't feel I was overreacting. Does that give you the picture?)

So, here we are, many years later... Sam lives in Vancouver, and he caught wind of the fact that we were out here as well. My husband was a bit reluctant to resume a friendship with this guy, but we don't know a lot of people out here, and beggars can't be choosers. Sam married Emma, who seems like a nice person, although a little standoffish. Oh well, I've been accused of the same in the past. Maybe she's actually just a bit shy, like me. Or maybe she's standoffish.

So where am I going with all this, you ask? I'm getting to it...

Sam and Emma have 2 children, both girls. The eldest is 7, and she has the same name as the Princess. Spelled differently, but the same name. When we named the Princess, my husband laughed and said that Sam would think that we stole the name. (Yes, he's just that narcissistic. Sam, not my husband.) However, that name was the one I chose for a daughter when I was about 12. And, it had special meaning to my husband and I. We went with it, because we weren't going to worry about what asshat thought.

This weekend, we saw these people for the first time in about 4 years. We had heard through the grapevine that they had had another child. We met her this weekend - she's a cutie, almost 3 years old. Herein lies the dilemma: her name is my NUMBER 1 name choice if we have another child and it turns out to be a girl. This is the name we would have given Jr., if Jr. had turned out to be a girl.

So....IF we have another child, and IF that child is a girl, what do we do?

My instinct is to say that we go ahead and use the name we love, screw what the asshat and his aloof wife might think. It's not like we hang out with these people regularly or anything. But then I think about how I would feel if the situation were reversed, and we had had our children first. Would I think it was crass? Unoriginal? Pathetic mimicry (if I were half as narcissistic as them)?

I guess we have some time to mull it over. Perhaps all eternity. After all, I am not pregnant (really!), may never be pregnant again, and any future pregnancy might turn out to produce a boy. But, you know, when you have nothing else to do, you may as well worry about theoretical problems. Keeps your worry muscle toned.

Oh Yeah, It Was A Good Idea!

2008-05-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Verona with Extra Cream

Going to bed too late last night? Totally worth it.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

2008-05-23T22:36:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Tall Non-Fat, Extra-Hot Tazo Chai Latte

It's 9:00 pm on a Friday. The children are in bed, sleeping peacefully. Husband is off on his weekly "guy's night". The third load of laundry for the evening is in the washer. The dishes are done, counters and table wiped, family room tidied. There is nothing on tv.

You could order a movie from your cable provider. You could read that book sitting at your bedside that you started over a week ago. You could do a little first aid on that pedicure you got 3 weeks ago (it needs it). You could catch up on the sixty thousand posts in your reader that are festering there, threatening to explode your reader wide open (and maybe your head, too)...

What do you do, though? This:

Tomorrow they're going to get dressed up all fancy like their friends in the book and go to a BBQ.

I know that tomorrow I'll be grateful I got this little task done tonight. However, right now all I want to do is go to bed. Cool, damn it, so I can put you buggers in a container until the morning. Sheesh.

Shades of Grey('s)

2008-05-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte, Extra-Hot

Ok, so I just finished watching the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. Was anyone else disappointed with how it ended?

Mostly, I'm done with the whole on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again (ad nauseum) business with Meredith and Derek. Seriously, how much more of this can we take? I saw it coming weeks ago (as did you, I'm sure) that they were going to reunite in the finale. It was inevitable. However, now they've totally set us up for the axe to fall on this relationship once more. Did anyone else get that feeling when Derek strode off at the end? You know the feeling I'm talking about... the "gonna get in a car wreck on his way to talk to Rose" feeling... the "Rose is going to tell him she's pregnant" feeling... the "Meredith's going to die in a tragic grass fire out in the middle of nowhere" feeling (ok, so maybe that's a stretch)... I just feel like I've been set up. And not in that good, I can't wait for the Fall kind of way.

Stupid tv. Why do I waste my time? I could have been blogging (smacks forehead)!

Made in Canada?

2008-05-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, Extra-Hot Tazo Chai Latte

I am proudly Canadian, and anyone who's been reading my blog for awhile probably already knows that. I believe in supporting Canadian industry and the economy in general, so I have long made an effort to purchase products that are made in Canada. In particular, when I go to the grocery store, I try to read labels and make choices that support the Canadian food industry. If I see the words "Made in Canada", I believe I am making a choice that supports my country and the people who make it work every day.

So, I was dismayed to discover a few years ago that some of those products that I believed were "Made in Canada" might not have been so Canadian after all... It turns out that the rules said that any product for which at least 51% of the production cost was incurred in Canada, and for which the last substantial transformation of the product occurred in Canada could legally be labelled "Made in Canada".

What does that legal mumbo-jumbo mean in real terms? Well, that bottle of apple juice in my fridge just might be made from apples grown in China, even though the label says "Made in Canada", as long as the apples were brought to this country, processed and packaged here. Crazy, huh? (Particularly because there are thousands of orchards in Canada producing beautiful apples. Apples that I thought I was consuming, silly me.)

Well, apparently the government has finally woken up and realized that maybe, just maybe, there's something wrong with that picture. It was announced today that the government plans to amend the rules around the labelling of food products. Soon (very soon, I hope) companies that produce food products in this country will have to be more transparent about the source of their ingredients. And when something says "Made in Canada", it will have to mean it. Start to finish.

There will be an allowance, however, for companies to produce a finished product that states "Made in Canada from _____ from another country". In other words, for products we can't actually grow here (say, pineapples, for example), we can still produce them as a Canadian product as long as the label indicates where the pineapples were grown.

It's not very often that I want to stand up and applaud when my government makes an announcement. Today, however, I was delighted. I was proud. I was glad (for one day, anyway) that Stephen Harper was my Prime Minister. Tomorrow I can go back to rolling my eyes whenever his mug graces my tv screen.

Want to know more? Find the announcement here. Or watch this fantastic episode of the CBC program Marketplace that did an expose on this subject last fall. It will take a few minutes of your time, but it's pretty revealing.

Slow and Steady...Wins the Race?

2008-05-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint Mocha

I have been growing increasingly frustrated of late with my total inability to get anything done. The laundry piles up, the dirty dishes seem to be procreating, the stack of paper on my desk that needs answering/paying/filing/whatever just keeps growing. Last week I tried for 4 days straight to get out and get groceries, but was totally unsuccessful. I've got boxes and boxes stacked everywhere, unopened and unpacked. And nothing we own seems to have a permanent home in our new house yet. There's not even one single, solitary picture hung on the walls.

It's driving me batty.

I was starting to think that maybe I'm just too unorganized. That perhaps if I took the time (ha!) to sit down and plan it all out, I'd be able to get it all done. That maybe my approach to things was all wrong.

Then my husband informed me that he knew what the problem was: he says I'm just slow. Plain and simple. Cold molasses kind of slow.

In truth, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that assessment. I know I'm not the fastest person around, but I would never have used the word slow to describe myself. I think I do things pretty efficiently when I set my mind to the task at hand. I can multitask with the best of them. (Note: I said that to my husband, and all he could do was laugh. Phooey on him.)

I think my problem is that I'm distracted. Chiefly by the brother-sister tag team racing about my house like whirling dervishes. How in the hell is anyone supposed to get anything done with a 3-year-old and an 18-month-old underfoot? When your day is punctuated at very regular intervals by the need to prepare food and drinks for two very fussy little people... And then cleaning up after each of those 80 meals a day... And playing house, and puzzles, and reading books, and riding bikes, and going to the playground... And changing diapers, and visiting the potty, and brushing teeth, and chasing after naked little people with a change of clothes...

Come to think of it, it's a wonder I get anything done during the day. Maybe the problem isn't with how much stuff I manage to get done...maybe it's with my own perception of what gets done. Maybe I should be celebrating every little task I manage to complete, instead of lamenting the growing "to do" list.

Ahhh.... that feels better. Blogging as therapy. I love it. (You aren't going to charge me for this session are you?)

Missing Something?

2008-05-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Gold Coast with Extra Cream

FOUND

Found today, abandoned by one 3of3 in the middle of my living room floor, left behind after a sun-drenched afternoon strolling on the beach, splashing in the surf, digging in the sand, and eating the yummiest fish and chips in town. Possibly traumatized after witnessing the accidental entrapment of one green puppy with floppy purple ears in the chandelier, the culmination of an exuberant game of catch-the-puppy played by the Princess and 1of3. Sure to be well cared for by the Princess in 3of3's absence, but hopefully not adopted by same, or certainly tears will ensue. However, currently ensconced in bed with the Princess and her sunburned feet. (Bad mommy, on seven different levels *grin*)

Investigation to ensue. Was kitty abandoned? Intentionally left behind in the hopes of a return visit to the seashore? Kidnapped in a plot to lure Mr. Lady south on another day? We may never know...

That Not-So-Fabulous Crib I Mentioned...

2008-05-15T20:43:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny, Extra-Hot Vanilla Latte

So, the other day I was forced to accept that Jr. was going to have to make the move to the big boy bed, far earlier than I had planned. But, I said to myself, no biggie. We'll just convert his crib and hope for the best.

Apparently not.

You see, this is my son's lovely crib. (Excuse the blurriness of the photos - my camera sucks.)

This is his sister's bed:

See the difference? Hers was once a crib, and then presto! we took off the front to make it a toddler bed. When she's a little older, we'll take off the sides, put in the matching rails, pop the end back on and presto! we'll have a double bed. We loved the concept when we bought it, and it's been worth every penny since.

Jr.'s bed is also a convertible crib. Except apparently we weren't paying close enough attention when we bought it. You see, his converts alright - from a crib to a double bed. No step in between. Sucky.

So now we have a problem. The Princess is rather fond of her bed, and rightly so. She's slept in it all of her life. I can understand her attachment. She's not keen on making the switch with her brother, so that he can have a toddler bed. Even though that means that she'll have a new, bigger bed (and we all know how much she likes things that are new).

What are the options at this point?

make the switch (as above) and deal with the unhappy 3-year-old
convert Jr.'s bed to a double, hope it's not too colossally high, invest in a couple of side rails, and hope for the best (but feel really stupid about having your 18-month-old in a double bed while your 3-year-old remains in a toddler bed)
buy a new toddler bed and put the crib parts into storage until he's a little older
leave him sleeping on his mattress on the floor

Truthfully, I recognize that switching their beds is the best and most logical option. I just hate the thought of dealing with the fall out. Because, trust me, the Princess can wage wars on a nuclear level. She puts the D in WMD.

Jr. at Large: Day 1

2008-05-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

So, yesterday reality was thrust upon me - my little boy is growing up. We're now 24 hours out of the crib, and I'm happy to say that things are going better than I expected.

Last night we put the crib mattress on the floor, gated him into his room, went through the bedtime routine as per usual, and put him to bed at 7:45 pm. There was no crying, for which I was very grateful. There was, however, a lot of door opening and closing, and some emptying of the hamper and dresser drawers. There was also some playing with toys. All to be expected of an 18-month-0ld left to his own devices in his room. However, by 9:00 pm things had gone quiet. Not bad. What's better? He didn't wake through the night. At 7:00 am he opened his door and started to call "Ma-ma" in his cute little sing-song voice. Adorable.

Despite our success last night, I was wary about nap time today. Things went largely the same as last night - no crying, lots of opening and closing the door, a bit of playing... but after just 45 minutes or so he was asleep. Curled up with a dirty pair of pyjamas from the hamper, but asleep nonetheless.

Maybe we can do this after all.

Next problem? The fantastic convertible crib I bought for him isn't so fantastic after all...

Pulling an Ostrich (not as dirty as it sounds...)

2008-05-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, Extra-Hot Tazo Chai Latte

Denial is a fabulous thing sometimes, isn't it? I've been walking around with my head in the sand a lot lately, about a variety of different things. Not all of which I'm prepared to blog about. Today, however, one of those things reared its' ugly head and bit me in the ass...

Jr., who will be 18 months on Saturday, is a classic little boy. He does all the things that the Princess never even considered, and he has the bruises to show for it. If it is in front of him, he will climb on it. Without a moment's hesitation. Getting back down again? Someone else's problem.

Today, however, it became his problem. Today, he decided he was going to climb out of his crib. I've seen this scenario coming, but in typical LM fashion, I just decided it wasn't going to happen. Denial, as they say, is more than just a river in Egypt.

The short story? Crib and floor tag team - 1, Jr. - 0.

Thankfully, he wasn't hurt. Unfortunately, he didn't learn his lesson. Next time he went in, he tried to climb back out again. Damn.

So, the time has come for a big-boy bed. Far too soon for my liking, that's for sure. We didn't move the Princess to a big-girl bed until she was two, and for the next six months we had to convince her that she could actually get out of it on her own. She would sit on the bed and cry in the morning till someone came to get her. It was great. Irritating, but great.

Jr., however, is not going to make it as easy on his parents. As a temporary measure we've taken the mattress out of his crib and placed it on the floor. We've gated off the door to his bedroom and the door into the ensuite, so at least he's trapped in the room. However, this does not in any way convince him that he should be staying in his bed and going to sleep. I'm hoping the novelty of opening and closing the doors, the closet, the drawers on his dresser, etc., etc. wears off quickly. If not, this could be a very, very, very long summer.

*sigh*

At least I'm still riding the high from my Mother's Day outing with two of Vancouver's hottest mommy bloggers. This place? Most amazing Beef Wellington I've ever eaten - but, then, they could have told you that. And they would, trust me. Using a plethora of adjectives. Carefully topped by a carmelized banana that smells truly amazing...

When Tighty Whities Go Bad

2008-05-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

I'm clearly too old to "get" the pants hanging down off your ass trend that's been around for the last number of years. But, clearly it's popular, so I just tend to look the other way. Today, though, I could only shake my head in disbelief.

Behold - the landscapers turning my patch o' dirt into a real-life yard:

I hate to break it to this guy, but there ain't nothin' sexy 'bout that look. Although I don't ascribe to this particular trend, I'm fairly certain tighty whities are not supposed to be seen in this fashion. Especially not when your ass is sweaty from doing manual labour in the mid-day sun. (I simply could not capture that particularly unsavoury aspect of this look while trying to secretly take photos of the workers in my back yard. Be grateful. It was nasty.)

Intimidation and Anticipation

2008-04-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Americano

I just received a fabulous new kitchen toy as a gift. Isn't she a beauty?

Here's the close-up shot:

Sexy, huh?

Problem is, it has me totally intimidated. It shouldn't, really. I have a culinary skill or two to call my own. But, for some reason I keep looking at it and thinking, "Eeeek!"

I'm such a baby.

After all, it came with this:

What more can you ask for? You'd think I'd be in panini heaven right now. I've flipped through this, and the pictures were enough to make my stomach do backflips. Or orgasm. Or something that involved a lot of whoop-de-doo and growly noises in there...

I think I need to make a trip to the store. Do you have a favourite panini recipe to share with me? (I know Mr. Lady does... I just have to dig through her extensive archives...) What magic can I make with this thing? Do you think it will convince the Princess to eat something other than grilled cheese? (Oh, crap. This thing will make fabulous grilled cheese. She's never going to eat anything else as long as she lives!)

Come on, dear readers... wow me with your culinary expertise. I'm a blank canvas.

Ethical Mommy Blogging?

2008-04-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, Extra-Hot Tazo Chai Latte

I am a Mommy Blogger. I believe the vast majority of my readers to be Mommy Bloggers, as well. Are we all bad mothers? Are we condemning our children to future embarrassment and months (or years?) of therapy?

What am I going on about, you ask?

Well, after my blogging hiatus of late, I've developed a serious back-log in my reader. I thought I'd catch up with some of my online friends tonight, and I stumbled across this post by Don Mills Diva. She was interviewed for an article in the Globe and Mail (the major Canadian newspaper) about mommy bloggers. Head on over there and read it. We'll wait for you, don't worry...

And you're back. Did you read the comments? What did you think?

I have to admit, at first I was totally outraged. I didn't like the judgemental tone of the article. I bristled at the comments of people who clearly know very little about blogging, mommy blogging, the feeling of community amongst bloggers, etc, etc. I was defensive about the amount of time I spend blogging, the subject matter of my posts, the way I spend my leisure time, the way I raise my children...

But then I sat and thought about some of the points that had been made. In particular, I thought about the issues of privacy and exposure. I thought about the way I write my blog.

Do I not share some of the concerns voiced (however ineloquently) by some of the commenters on the Globe and Mail website? After all, I blog totally anonymously. I do not use my own name, that of my husband, my children... hell, I think even the cat has a pseudonym. I refer to the greater metropolitan area in which I live, but I have never once narrowed it down to my particular suburb. I have never put a photo of myself or any of my family members on my blog. (No, really, I am not a coffee cup. I know. You're shocked.) Why do I guard my identity so closely? When I ask myself this question, I have only one answer. Because I worry about exposing myself, and more importantly, my children on the internet.

Maybe my fears are a little over the top. Ok, bordering on total paranoia, really. But starting this blog was my choice, not the choice of my children, my husband, or anyone in my family. And when I'm really honest with myself about it, I don't identify them or show photos of them because I worry about what it might mean for them in the future. It is more than just worrying that their photos might be examined by perverts, or that their schoolmates might google them in grade 5. The internet grows, changes, and becomes more powerful every day. I cannot predict what it might be capable of in 6 months, 2 years, 5 years... Could you have predicted the power of Facebook 5 years ago? I certainly couldn't have done so. I worry that what I write today might impact my children in the future in some unfathomable way, and I don't ever want to regret what I type into this online journal of mine.

I am not writing this post to be judgemental of others. I'm writing it because I was intrigued by my reaction to the article and its' comments, and the subsequent examination of my own feelings about my blog.

I admire the blogs of many different people, both those who share lots of identifying information and those who do not. In fact, I have often wished that I had the cojones to be more open on my blog - I have two beautiful children that I would love to share with my readers, many of whom I have come to think of as friends. But, a little nagging feeling in my brain keeps me from doing it. Maybe it's a maternal instinct, a kind of "mother bear" side of me, protecting my cubs... Whatever it is, I feel I have to listen to it. It may mean that I'll never be a Dooce, never make my fortune online, never be famous... but I'm ok with that.

Into the Deep End...

2008-04-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

Ok, so I've dipped my toes back into the blogging waters of late, but a certain someone dear to my heart feels I need to make my way down to the deep end. To facilitate said excursion, she has kindly provided me with a meme for subject matter. Gracias, my dear.

The meme in question? The classic "7 Things" meme, in which I am supposed to reveal to you, my dah-link readers, seven random or weird facts about myself. Last time I did one of these, I think people were a little surprised. This time, however, I think I'm going to end up coming off drastically less interesting. Oh well, as they say, you can please some of the people some of the time... Without further ado:

I have a total black thumb. I don't garden, I don't have houseplants. I cannot make anything grow. The hardiest of plants (the kind that they give to bachelors who go on business trips for weeks at a time with no one to water them, and yet they still go on blooming and growing) have died under my care. I've killed cacti. It takes a special talent, really.
I have a terrible memory. I have read hundreds of amazing books in my lifetime, but I can't tell you anything about the vast majority of them. I was friends in highschool with people whose names are now completely unfamiliar to me. I have no recollection whatsoever about half my childhood and teenage years. And yet, I can distinctly remember something seemingly innocuous that happened to me when I was about 2, maybe 3 years old, despite the fact that all scientific evidence suggests that adults cannot remember that far back. My husband thinks I've made this memory up. I'm convinced he's wrong.
I have been thanked many, many times in the Birth Announcements section of the newspaper. But, the most touched that I ever was in my old career was the one time I was thanked in someone's obituary. I'll always remember how I felt when I read that. That family will never know how that simple acknowledgment affected me.
I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep unless I brush my teeth. I can't stand yucky, sticky sleeping mouth. Ick.
I prefer regular Coke over Pepsi, but Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke. Why is that?
I record General Hospital every day on my PVR. I nearly never get a chance to watch it, so probably 2/3 of them get deleted without ever being played, but I still record it. It's my guilty pleasure.
I haven't showered today. Yuck, I know. But tile guy was here to redo a bunch of grouting and caulking and sealing of tile and crap, and I wasn't allowed to shower. It sucks. Thankfully the internet hasn't developed smell technology yet. I might have lost my last straggling readers...

Well, that's it, kids. Seven not-so-amazing facts about moi. I'd follow the rules and dish out some tags, but, you know... If you're interested, consider yourself tagged. Drop me a comment to let me know you did the meme, and I'll be over to check it out.

Revolving Door

2008-04-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, Extra-Hot Tazo Chai Latte

So, how many of you have been by my house in the last week? Seriously. It has to have been at least half of you, since my front door seems to have turned into a revolving door and I'm no longer able to keep track of how many people are in my house at any one given time. It's just crazy.

The first problem is that my basement isn't yet finished. Therefore, there are a myriad of tradespeople traipsing up my driveway and down through my basement entry (thankfully they can get in without having to come through the house). There's drywall guy, clean-up guy, painter guy, finishing guy, tile guy... the list goes on.

Then, of course, there are all the trades that have to come into the main part of the house to deal with the deficiencies we've identified - there's my builder, his labourer guy, the appliance guys ('cuz apparently each of my appliances requires a different guy), the gas guy, the cabinet guy, the tile guy, the electrician, garage door guy, painter guy, finishing guy, audio guy etc. etc.

As if there weren't enough Y-chromosomes crawling about my house, today we added in the outdoor crew. The irrigation guys were digging various holes in my "yard" today, and the landscapers were erecting fenceposts. They tell me that in another week or so I'll actually have grass, shrubs, trees and flowers. Woo hoo!

I feel like I'm living in the middle of a tornado. No, wait. The eye of a tornado is calm, isn't it? Hmm... more like a hurricane, I guess. Organized chaos.

Right now it's craziness, but the end is in sight. My mental image of the final product gets a little less fuzzy every day as more concrete and tangible pieces fall into place every day. In a couple of months it will be like none of this was ever an inconvenience. Till then, I'm surviving on bagels and coffee, showering occasionally, and I've gotten used to strange men seeing me in my pyjamas with my hair sticking out everywhere, no makeup and my glasses on.

I'm bringin' sexy back.

Like She'd Planned It Herself...

2008-04-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, Extra-Hot Tazo Chai Latte

Our previous home was really the only home the Princess had ever known. We moved into it when she was just 7 months old, and lived there until she was more than 3. I worried a little about the move to the new house - would she feel insecure leaving her only home, would she be afraid to go to sleep at night, would she ask to go back?

We spent a lot of time preparing her for the big move. We took her to the new house while it was under construction and showed her where her new room would be. We bought books about moving, and read them exhaustively. We watched a couple of shows about moving that just conveniently happened to be on tv (it was fate, I tell you - thanks Harry and His Bucketful of Dinosaurs). We had her help pack up some of her toys and books, so that she felt that she had some control over things.

On moving day, we had to wake the children quite early, so that they would be washed, dressed, fed, and out of the way of the movers who were arriving at 8:30 am. Being woken early never goes over well with the Princess. I was worried. It was a bad start to an important day. We got the children all sorted out and fed, let the Princess have a quick look at the moving truck, and then sent them on their way with their two Grandmothers for a day at the zoo.

I agonized over this plan. Although I knew they needed to be out of the way in order for the movers to get their work done, I worried that the Princess might need to see some of the move happen in order to "say goodbye" to her old house.

I need not have worried.

The Princess has not once asked about our old house. It's like it has disappeared from her consciousness. She arrived "home" from the zoo to our new house, and it was like she had fully expected that this was going to be how it would all play out. She ran around the new house in a state of exuberant joy, pointing out to anyone who would listen all the new things there were around her. She was in love with it all - from the new floors to the new windows to the new appliances to her new room with its' window seat to her new bathroom and tub. She couldn't get enough.

Last night she used my potty late in the evening, long after her bedtime. She looked around the bathroom and (for the hundredth time) pointed out to me every new fixture, tile, etc. She then looked up at me and said, "You have so many new things, Mommy. You're so lucky. I love new things. New things are the best."

Cute now, but I forsee some serious credit card debt in her future. She'll be giving "shopaholic" a whole new meaning.

Overheard at My House...

2008-04-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

In the category of "Best Stall Tactics at Nap Time", the prize goes to the Princess for this gem:

"Mama, I can't go to sleep because my fingernails are too long. Can we cut them now, please?"

Seriously.

Chaos Reigns

2008-04-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Venti Bold with Extra Cream; Grande Non-Fat, No-Whip, Extra-Hot Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha; Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai (ok, so I've made a few trips through the drive-thru today... sue me.)

I'm baa-aack! Miss me?

It's done. I'm moved. Thank God that's over. Now, of course, we're in the midst of the unpacking, and chaos reigns. However, I'm writing this in the splendour of my amazing new kitchen, basking in the glow of the setting sun on vast expanses of stainless steel. I love it.

I'm exhausted, but I love it.

Once we've established order around here, I'll post some pics. And, hopefully, I'll get around to posting more regularly. Sorry for having gone totally AWOL. I missed you all!!!!

In other real-life news, I became an aunt again this week! My brother-in-law and his wife, after several years of infertility treatments, welcomed a beautiful little boy into the world on Monday, April 7th. I look forward to meeting him sometime this summer. I have to admit, it's making my ovaries twitch a little... now that the move is over, baby fever will probably swing into full throttle!

The Void Between My Ears

2008-04-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

I have completely lost my ability to blog.

I can't decide if my brain is too overloaded with crap to think about or if the area between my ears has become a vast and empty wasteland, a void that is dark and empty... but not quiet. No, definitely not quiet. It is loud. Loud with this infernal buzzing that just won't seem to go away. Aaarrrgghhhhhh!

I sit down at my laptop. I read my email. I catch up on (some) of my blog reading. And then I think to myself, "Self, you've got to write something. It's been days. People are starting to send you emails checking to see if you're dead."

And then I sit there. And I sit there. And I sit there some more.

Occasionally I type out a word or two, but that activity is generally followed by a flurry of backspacing. I cannot write anything. Everything I type makes me feel like a total fraud, completely unworthy of my readers.

I am in blogging hell.

I think it's probably that my brain is totally overloaded. There so much to think about right now... will the builder be finished on time, will I ever get all this packing done, who else do I need to notify about our move (family, friends, the government, utilities, the cable company, the phone company, the bank, the post office.... the list just doesn't end), when are the window treatments going to be complete, what am I going to do with the basement furniture that can't be moved into our as yet unfinished basement, etc, etc, etc. I think about this stuff all day, and then I dream about it at night. When I sleep, that is ('cuz I certainly didn't last night).

My Mom is coming today to stay for the month, so that will help quite a bit. She can take care of the children while I run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get all the other crap done.

I'm delighted about my new house, don't get me wrong. I'd just like to be on the other side of this move already. Nine more days... bear with me.

Impeccable Timing

2008-03-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

Today was the Princess' first day back at preschool after a two-week hiatus for Spring Break and Easter. It was also the last school day for March, which meant that it was "Party Day". Translation? The first half hour of the class is comprised of a little "show" for the Moms and Dads, featuring the songs/dances learned that month, and a couple of displays of new-found knowledge. It's pretty cute. And inevitably eye-opening and/or amusing at some points. What else can you expect when you ask a group of eighteen 3-year-olds to stand in a line, pay attention, and perform on cue?

What do I do at the beginning of every Party Day? Send up a little prayer that my child won't be the one who does something that causes every other parent to give you "that look" this month. Mmm hmm.

Our preschool has a reputation for being a fairly "academic" preschool. That being said, though, everything is taught through play. Each month the curriculum covers a topic in each of three different areas: Science, Math, and Social Development. For March, the topics were Moving Air (Science), Symmetry (Math), and Respect (Social Development).

At the prompting of their teacher, the children sang and danced to a song called "How Do You Know When the Wild Wind Blows", and showed us the butterflies they made to learn about symmetry. Then, just as their teacher was beginning to ask them what "respect" means, my child steps forward from the line and blows a raspberry at the substitute teacher sitting on the floor just in front her. Twice. Oh, yeah.

Good to know I'm getting my money's worth out of that curriculum.

Great, Now I Need Rhinoplasty to Go With My Tummy Tuck and Boob Lift

2008-03-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

My husband and Jr. enjoy playing a little game together that my husband calls "bonk". In essence, the game proceeds as follows: husband picks up the boy, snuffles him a little around the neck (which always induces giggles), then they gently tap their foreheads together while my husband says "bonk, bonk" and my son laughs heartily. It's quite cute, really.

Today, Jr. climbed up onto one of our dining chairs (a forbidden activity), and I rushed over to take him down. When I got there, though, he sat nicely in the chair seat, so I knelt in front of him and we had a little bonding moment. I tickled his belly, he asked for more, and then I snuffled his neck. There was giggling, as you might expect. Then I asked him for a hug, which he generously gave to me. Naturally, I next asked for a kiss. It was drooly, but I got my kiss. He asked for more, so I leaned close to him and made kissy noises, hoping he would meet me half way.

What did I get? A head-butt to the bridge of my nose. Ouch.

Apparently I was invited to a game of "bonk", but I didn't quite get the message. Silly me.

Watch Out, Martha Stewart!

2008-03-23T21:24:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai Latte

I am a culinary genius.

Easter dinner - what image does that phrase evoke for you? Ham? Turkey? Lamb?

When I was small, I think my mother always made ham on Easter. I wouldn't try it when I was a child - my own child comes by her picky eating naturally. However, it turns out that I was wiser than I might have been given credit for at the time - turns out I have a sensitivity to nitrates, and ham makes me quite sick to my stomach if I eat it. So, although I've tasted and enjoyed ham before, I pay for it later, so I don't eat it as a rule.

Once my mother realized that I couldn't eat ham, she began to serve turkey at Easter. Actually, she serves turkey dinner at almost every major holiday occasion. My Mom loves turkey. I, on the other hand, could take it or leave it. I don't hate it, I don't love it, I'm happy to have it once or twice a year.

Because I'm not the hugest fan of turkey, I never really bothered to cook one. My husband likes a good prime rib roast, so we would often serve that on special occasions. However, this past Thanksgiving, I decided I would cook a turkey for the very first time by myself. I opted for a Butterball cook-from-frozen pre-stuffed turkey because it just seemed like the easy way out for a first-timer. Turns out, it was amazing. Amazingly easy to cook, amazingly moist and juicy, amazingly tasty, and amazingly appealing to my guests. I got a lot of compliments on that turkey dinner.

So... when thoughts of Easter dinner began to float through my brain recently, I decided that I would cook turkey once again. Off I went to my local grocery store to peruse the case of frozen turkeys. There they were - the lovely cook-from-frozen variety, all mixed in with the other Butterballs. I found a nice-sized one for my little family (no guests expected, thank God in retrospect) and was about to put it in my cart when I spotted a slightly smaller turkey down toward the bottom of the case. Hmm, I thought. That one might be a bit better. So, I grabbed it, tossed it in my cart, and went on with my shopping, never giving it another thought.

Oh yes. You've figured it out. I can hear you "Oh, no!"-ing from here.

I opened up my freezer this morning to check out the weight of my little turkey-lurkey, so that I could figure out what time it was going to have to go into the oven... and there it was. Mocking me with its' Butterball Grade A Young Turkey label. Where the hell was the "cook from frozen" on the label???? I turned that baby over and over, reading every inch of the wrapper, hoping upon hope that I had not done what I was rapidly realizing I had done... I'd bought a regular turkey. And there it was, on Easter morning, frozen solid. Crap.

I repeat: I am a culinary genius.

What did my family have for Easter dinner? Easter pizza. Maybe it will be a new family tradition.

Vindication!!!!

2008-03-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte

Ha! I knew I was right! I knew my blogging friends would have my back!

Thus far, 19 of my lovely (handsome for you, Busy Dad) readers have weighed in on what comes off first - shirt or pants? The verdict is pants, by a margin of 11-7 (Lunanik is an equal-opportunity kinda gal). And, if you haven't guessed it yet, I'm a pants off first woman. Why? I don't have a good reason. I never gave it a moment's thought until my husband pointed it out. In fact, until he pointed it out to me, I don't think I could have answered the question I posed in my last post without actually starting to undress. So, PB&J, you're not alone. Thanks, by the way, for going through the trouble to change just to answer my call.

Now that I've read Busy Dad's comment, though, I see my husband's way of doing things in a different light. He has never tried to explain to me why he believed his way to be the right way of doing things, he's just asserted that my way is wrong. Perhaps he subconsciously has a fear of being caught looking stupid with just his shirt on.... but that doesn't explain why he walks about in the morning with his shirt and underwear on... maybe he has some deep-seated issue with pants? Hmm... this may require further investigation.

Anyway, thanks again to all who left a comment, particularly because you agreed with me (much to my husband's chagrin). Stay tuned next Friday for more frivolity...

In the meantime... Happy Easter, everyone! May the bunny dude provide you with much chocolatey goodness, and may the Easter feast leave you all drowsy and needing to loosen your pants. Hey! Since you're there, you might as well take them off first! *grin*

Some Friday Frivolity

2008-03-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte

In the category "Ridiculous Conversations My Husband and I Have On a Regular Basis"...

From the dawn of our relationship, my husband has contended that the manner in which I undress is, and I quote, "just plain wrong." He insists that I am alone on the planet in removing one particular article of clothing first every time I undress. One would think, of course, that any manner in which I undress in front of my husband would be perceived as a good thing. However, even when he's about to get a little somethin'-somethin' he still has been known to point this "flaw" out. Go figure.

What article of clothing do I remove first?

Well, I'm not going to tell you just yet. No, instead I am going to conduct my own little investigation into the matter.

Tell me, dear readers, when you are alone and not trying to be sexy, when you just want to get your pyjamas on and get ready for bed, what article of clothing do you remove first? Shirt? Or pants? Really, I want to know. We'll see who's the freaky undresser in my house - me or the man....

***As a side note, just in case you think we're both crazy... this is one of those things that my husband likes to pick on me about. This does not constitute a serious problem or flaw in our relationship. He does not actually think that I do this "wrong". He just likes to think that his way is the right way. But, then, so do I... And we're going to prove that here, right?***

'Cuz It Just Wouldn't Be Stalking Unless...

2008-03-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Non-Fat Tazo Chai

I have to take a moment to wish a Happy Birthday to the hottest, coolest, best-est American-turned-Canadian (even if it's only temporary) on the internet. Pop on over to chez Mr. Lady and wish her a Happy Birthday - she totally deserves it. Raise your sippy cups in her honour today!

Love ya, babe!
*mwah*

From the "Bad Mommy" Files...

2008-03-19T22:04:00.001-07:00

Today's order: Venti Gold Coast with Extra Cream

When I was a kid, and driving her crazy, my mother would sometimes jokingly tell me she was going to give me away. Never if she was truly mad at me. Only if I was being a pain in the ass. The phrase she would most often use was, "Oh, Latte, I'm going to give you away to the gypsies." (Why the gypsies? I dunno. Why not?) It was always said with an exasperated air, and a bit of a sigh. No yelling, no anger.

My response? "Ok." Probably an associated eye roll. It never really phased me. It was just one of those things my mother said to give me a hard time when I was a pain. Fair enough.

Fast-forward 30-some-odd-years or so...

Today the Princess was being a Royal Pain in the Behind. She was killing me with the whining, the crying, the defiance, the running away from me in busy parking lots and then laughing about it as I tried to chase her down... It was a very long day. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't totally innocent in all this - there was a bit of anger on my part today. There were several time-outs, several threats of having prized toys taken away, etc., etc. It wasn't one of our better days.

After a trying trip to the grocery store, I managed to get the Princess and Jr. into their car seats for the trip home. The Princess was being whiny, demanding, a bit of a pain. Nothing out of the usual. I was not angry. I was about half-way up the wall after the goings-on of the day, but I was not angry. There was no yelling. I got the doors closed, got into my seat, and sighed, "Oh, Princess, I'm going to give you away. To the gypsies."

Well, you'd think I'd packed up her bag and handed her over to them right there. The look that came over her face - I can't even describe it. Crestfallen, devastated, horrified.... it was all there in her eyes. And then the tears started. Not the whiny, cranky, "I'm not getting my way" tears. Oh no, these were the real deal. Tears of utter devastation. This was followed in short order by the sobbing. Sobbing accompanied by the almost incomprehensible sobbed words (you all know how that sounds), "No, Mommy. I (sob) don't (sob) want (sob) you (sob, sob) to (sob) give (sob, sob, sob) me away!"

Oh. My. God. I am a terrible mother. I had to pull over, stop the car, and remove my child from her car seat to comfort her. I actually had to reassure my child that her mother was not going to give her away to strangers. I had to explain to her that this was a joke... that Mommy thought it was kind of funny when I said it.

She was over it after about 3 minutes. However, it's hung over me all day. I feel awful!

So much for my "Mother of the Year" award!

Back in the Saddle

2008-03-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today's order: Grande Skinny, Extra-Hot Cinnamon Dolce Latte

So, a couple of weeks ago I fell off the Blog 365 wagon. And then I seem to have suffered a total blogging breakdown. Hell, it was really a total internet breakdown. I developed a laptop phobia. I could barely manage to read my email, let alone stay on top of my reader and come up with posts for my blog. I'm not sure what happened, but it was like Latte Mommy fell into her Starbucks cup and drowned. No, worse than that - I think maybe somebody started slipping her decaf.

I just wanted to acknowledge all of you who actually took the time to come by my blog on a regular basis, despite the fact that I wasn't really posting. It feels great to know that I have such loyal readers, and it's really motivated me to get my act together. So, here I am.... bear with me as I get back in the saddle.

What, you may be wondering, have I been up to while I was gone? Well, in a few weeks we'll be making the big move, so there have been meetings with our builder, our designer, the moving companies, the utility companies, etc, etc. It's actually starting to feel real, which is totally amazing. I can't wait to move!!!!

What else have I been doing? Well, my barista boyfriend starts his new job tomorrow (boo hoo!) so I've had to work on my pretend relationships... this weekend I managed to make two of them real!!!! I had not one, but two hot dates on Friday. Oh yeah, baby! First I got to meet this amazingly hot chick for a playdate and a latte. Then, I spent possibly the two shortest hours of my life on the phone with my very own doppelganger, who quite simply rocks my world. If I'm lucky, the three of us will be sipping martinis on my back deck this summer. Does life get much better than that?