Same old same old

The start to the week started off pretty awful.

• CU1 had broken his glasses in two (irrepairable damage).
  
• The washing machine expired (not good when CU3s on cotton diapers).
  
• I forgot my wallet at home.
  
• CU3 is having unexplainable mouth pains for which I have to schedule an emergency dental appointment to fill in the black-hole of information that's left there from "co-parenting".
  
• There's a Federal election.
  
• Did I mention we have no washing machine and there are FIVE people in the house?
• A zillion complications at work which have to be cancelled and rescheduled because of dental emergencies.

Midweek though, it's improving.

• CU1's glasses are under warranty and have been replaced in record time.
• Thank small gods for credit cards - we've purchased a washer which will be delivered by the end of the week.
• I found/collected my wallet and it's with me again, allowing me access to all of 16 cents I currently have available to me.
• I met with the dentist who filled me in on what's been going on in CUs mouth for the last two months and what can be done to help him not have mouth pains.
• The Federal election happened, and it's a minority government. See you at the polls in 2008!
• Did I mention we got a new washer coming in by weeks end? (So it looks like I might not be having a dirty weekend after all.)
• I've rescheduled some of the zillion and one things ... February's looking to be a pretty hairy month.

Weeee.

Happy

The first two years of a child's life are so filled with wonder. They are such sponges. Language is the most interesting acquisition. Amongst the assorted words that CU3 has learned, shoes, all done, up, pomme, paper is the happy. What a word to learn. Happy. Heureux. A simple word. To be one of the first ten words is such an accomplishment.

For better or for worse

It's been a hell of a week.

CU3 is such a generous child that she decided to share her cold with me. Eight days later, we both are sharing a lot of quality time together, coughing, wheezing and hucking a few clams, usually between the hours of 1 and 4 in the morning.

My DH has been a dream through it all. Every morning he reports on the "running of the stairs" and how he's tended to the sick and unhappy, tirelessly and for little reward.

It looks like some of that might actually be rubbing off on CU1 as, exhausted, I decided to take advantage of CU3s nap-time and catch a few zzz while CU1 and 2 were off playing relatively quietly. CU3 was under. Snowplows shaking the house as they passed didn't wake her. I was lying near by. CU1 quietly made his way into the room. I peered conspiratorially beneath my covers, as the sandman began to overtake me. CU1 was rummaging through his sister's toys. Trying to muster strength for an intervention, I saw him take out ... a duck.

A duck?

He tucks the duck in with the sleeping baby. Then makes his way around to me and tucks a lovey in with me. My tender boy. You make me so proud.

Voting in Canada

Dear friends and readers, as we lead up to another Federal election in less then a week, it reminds me of a t-shirt that I saw my uncle wear, oh so many years ago:

Friends don't let friends vote Republican.

Mind you, with the nutty weather we have been having (I'm suspecting the locuses are on their way), I wouldn't be surprised if hell begins to freeze and life becomes miserable for four years on Monday.

Sour grapes

In my opinion, one of the top five peevish things that bugs me are adults who act horribly, especially like two years old, when they don't get their way.

Some one's grandma named it correctly: sour grapes. As parents of children, we are frequently bombarded with messages about how to raise our children. This particular message seems to have fallen on deaf ears with a particular "parent" I know.

Look buster, life isn't equal. There may be some rough justice in this world. If so, it's not been doled out in my time yet, that doesn't mean it ain't comin'. So, in the mean time, when some one climbs in YOUR box, cowboy up, act your age, and be a better roll model for your children.

Family lore

Subtitled: "My kids will be in therapy for years".

Oh yah. My poor, poor children. Not only do they have to deal multiple households, multiple rules, multiple father figures, they have to deal with ME, and well DH! WE the "original" parents.

DH has a quirky side that really to know is to love. He's the kind of guy I wish I had as a dad. On the face of it, he seems a bit gruff, a bit scary to little things - kind of like Santa, or clowns. He's kind of round, and loyal, loyal, loyal ... like a Labradoodle. He's quiet, for the most part, and has a sly sense of humor that sneaks out and grabs you, usually at the most unexpected times. He's a fantastic storyteller. When he's on a roll, get as many free breaths in as you can 'cause you'll be asking for oxygen there after. He'll have you on the floor with your legs in the air bicycling for breath.

Which brings me to why there's an advert for Catmilk on this site.

One morning, CU2 was acting a little cross, crotchety, ornery, so DH thought this was the perfect opportunity to give her the gears.

DH: CU2, can you please feed the animals (bad cats and bad dog)? Oh, and while you're at it, milk the cats.
CU: What?
DH: Can you please feed the animals and when you're done, before school, milk the cats.
CU: What? You can't milk cats.
DH: Sure you can. Where do you think milk comes from?
CU: Cows?
DH to me as I walk into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from my eyes: What do you say?
Me: Huh?
DH to me: Where does milk come from?
Me: Depends on the animal.
DH to CU: See. So, please milk the cats before you go to school.
CU: They're boy cats!
DH: Oh, that may take a little longer. Maybe you can do it after school.

...

A couple of days later at breakfast time ...

CU2: Can I have some milk?
DH: I dunno can you?
CU2: Can I please have some milk?
DH: What kind? [BC1 (bad cat 1) walks through the kitchen)] Catmilk?
CU2: What?
DH: Do you want some catmilk?
CU2: No.

So the whole catmilk thing went away until just over the Christmas holidays when CUs 1 and 2 were away and DH had more time on his hands then ways he could entertain himself. He decided it would be a good idea that we packed up the rest of the family and went out to the local mall to see what was going on on Boxing Day. I'm always up for an adventure in odd things, and seeing that I've never done any of the crazy shopping on Boxing Day I said I was game. We went, we saw nothing out of the ordinary, but we were able to pick-up some Catmilk for CU2 and her breakfast cereal ... proving that yes Virginia there is a Santa Clause ... and there is such a thing as catmilk.

Original parenting

Today, while speaking with an aquantance, we were discussing parenting problem solving ideas. At the end of the conversation, this person turned to me and said "My you and your DH are original parents."

Um ....

What the hell??

I think it was meant to be a complement and a bit of recognition to our, er, ahem, unique style and approach to parenting.

I think the description is growing on me ... I think I like it.

CU gets Lucky

Thursday's are usually a rough day around our household. We're either preparing for an influx or an outflow of CUs. I have to say I always prefer the influx preparations. For me, it's like Christmas every other week as "my presents" come home.

This week, though is an outbound week. After two weeks of normalcy and ordinariness as a family unit, CUs 1 and 2 are preparing to say their goodbyes for a week and re-enter the stupid, rotating world not of their making. (Excuse me while I go brush my teeth for writing the S-word. It's a newer house rule that I came up with because CU3 was using it a bit too often and in a manner not becoming. So, I've fallen into my own trap!)

...

Ok. So, gentle readers, to satisfy any outstanding curiosity, I recommend Baby's Own over any liquid anti-bacterial hand soap. Much much cleaner taste and fewer residues!

But I digress further from the main story, which is the chaos that frequents this house. For the most part Thursdays are like any other day, except punishment is a lot lighter. In this case though, CU1 looses out for something CU3 - the latest edition to the family unit - did. CU3 was left to reckless abandon tonight while I directed CU1 and 2 through their paces (math and language tests Friday morning). I had paused to do some redirect with CU2 when CU1 starts screaming "bad baby" over and over and over again. As this is a semi-regular occurrence within these four walls, I have kind of learned to ignore it, unless accompanied by the smell of singed hair or some other odoriferous calamity.

In this case, curiosity got the better of me - "bad baby" had got Lucky. Lucky Charms that is. Mr. Charms had spread his wealth of magic deliciousness across the kitchen floor and was being carefully picked over by both "bad baby" (BB) and "bad dog". It didn't help that BC 1 and 2 (bad cats 1 and 2) were making matters worse by batting petrified, space-ready pink hearts, green clovers, stars, horse shoes, and whatever nonsense they now stuff in the box across the floor.

Hey baby! Would you like your milk with that?

bad hair days and dresses stuck in tights

I've been walking around, for a couple of weeks now, maybe longer, feeling angry, grouchy, brittle. Wintertime is a period of me usually of hibernation, contemplation and a lot of self-work. And small gawds know (any any one who has seen me recently) knows that I could an Extreme Makeover!

The New Year ended and started with a "poof" - kind of like something one would see on Bugs Bunny after one of Wiley E. Coyote's failed stunts. I keep telling myself that that's ok, but the reality is that I'm not ok with it. I want 2006 to be different, more joyful, more joy filled. Maybe it's my realizing that this year, this winter is a bit different, as I start to sever long-term relationships and close the door on life changing events that initiated a historic chain of actions that lead me to the path I'm walking today.

January 2000 was a very troubling, actually horrible time in my life, one that I shall never, ever repeat. By the first of April, I was starting a new life that was more thrust upon me, though a welcome relief at that point, as I tried to battle something that was bigger than me, that was out side of me, that really was and wasn't about me.

The impact and outcome has been far far ranging resulting in groups and regrouping of entities into what now are more solid units. (CUs, I'm so sorry this happened.)

I think I'm having troubles realizing that there is an end to this part of my journey.

I'm feeling lost, a drift. The only way to provide a sufficient comparison to some one who hasn't experienced it is that it's like when you loose your job. Part of you gets left behind, willingly or less willingly.

So much of one's identity is attached to a job, a place, or a relationship that to shift it, unexpectedly is to jar something loose. And there it rattles around until it something snags it.

As this piece gets fitted in, maybe the Universe is saying that now is the time to take the steps to the rest of my life and further identify myself: a mother, a sister, a daughter, a creative problem solver, a friend, a schooled person, a reader, a fat chick, an accidental gardener, a Jill-of-all-trades, a wannabe photographer... what's next?

January 2006

Oh, this year is not getting off to a good start, from the writing perspective. Part of it is that there are just so many thank yous to write, as so many people have been so generous this Holiday season, part of it has just been a feeling of burnout. Perhpas it's the after season burnout or let down. Perhaps it's a winter light issue. My creativity has taken a wee bit of a hit - showed up in the things I didn't do with the CUs during their week off. All that said and done, everyone begins the regular grind tomorrow. All CUs return to their perspective schools, and all parental units, if they've not been working through, get the joy of returning to the chaos they left behind.

On the home front, I've got more pictures up in the photogallery - I'm hoping to do a more simple grouping to follow this year - by month. Newer pictures first. I'm hoping a few pictures will hold you until their stories can be told.