Feast or famine

It seems to be feast or famine over in this end of town. I'm missing out on PCs company as one of her CUs hit the skids and is house bound for the week.

I know I'll catch up with the details next week. The funny thing is I know I didn't give up chocolate for Lent!

Stuffed

Well, it's not like the shite has hit the fan, in so many words, it just feels like it.

March is usually a blah month for me, and it's continuing to be so.

Being on maternity leave, I thought, silly me, that things would be merry and bright and sunshine and roses. The closest I've come to roses is a bed of thorns.

In relation to world problems, mine are slight and certainly self-inflicted. They're there nonetheless, and, well, for several, time is the only thing to heal.

In the meantime, weather is turning up, which to me, might be a good thing, if I could just motivate myself to put down the fork and take a handful of CUs with me and go for a walk instead of forcing down my feelings, and self-medicating with Girl Guide Cookies. (Having 28 cartons in the house isn't helping either.)

Sad

Today I got a call from my X-DH's partner asking for CU-2's passport information. From previous conversations with CU-2, I've been told of her other parent's pending re-nuputuals this summer and the yearly promise to visit another continent. Apparently this year it might actually be true.

The telephone conversation was mildly distrubing for one reason, X-DH wasn't making the call. He almost never does. Everything is passed through the non-legal non-custodial step parent. Makes me wonder who is more important, his feelings or his children. Actually, I don't think I wonder any more.

At the end of the conversation, partner got the information he needed to make the arrangements for the trip. No offer to tell me when or where. I decided I could have asked, but I would have risked getting told some choice words, so why bother. It will all come out in due time.

On a similar wave length, I was reading in the news, the story of a young girl who was held, not on her own accord, for three months, and finally got away. As I read the details of the abuse, I thought that the techniques used are not that different from what my CUs have experienced. And so I worry. (I've been told my worries are misplaced.)

Which leads me to what I've been wanting to blog about (just to get it out of my head). Every night that my CUs are not home, I put the porch light on. Every night they are home, the light is turned off. CUs if you ever read this, know that this tradition will go on. There's a place for you here. Always. No matter what. Je t'aime.

All's well that ends well

I wish I could say all is well here. One word: bickering.

My MOL once referred to us as the Bickersons - as in a family name. How fitting is that for us.

We had a ray of sunshine earlier last week when hell froze over and my DXH sent through CU-1 and 2s report cards. It was significant permafrost here when CU-1s grades came back stronger then the first term. Praise the Saints!

For a whole 24 hours every one woke up happy. Down right chipper. Then back to cloud cover, as usual.

We're under a lot of stress from a significant household renovation. DH is, well, probably scared shitless spending this amount of money, especially considering within the last three years we'd seriously had to consider visiting our local food bank. (For us, things tend to go bust, bust, bust or boom, but in a bad way. So far, things have been holdering their own though, and I'm not trying to court troubles. My psoriasis is going over time on me, which means I must be super stressed out too. The last time things flared up this badly was during "The Troubles" when DXH and I were too close to tango and were in the heat of a mediated (dis)agreement.)

I'm hoping this too will pass. We've got probably another six weeks on the build (from the project plan we've received), and then it's time to put the house back together.

Framed!

We've been framed! At least there's been a start to framing of the addition. We had three guys wacking away at wood from 7:30 this morning to late into the afternoon.

(This is the third wall going up.)

I poked around the site upon coming home this evening. It feels so little. DH keeps telling me to keep the faith, that it'll be worthwhile.

I hope I believe him.

And so it begins, take two

I've been doing a lot of grousing at this end of things. My poor DH has had to hear me go on and on and on about the slow start to the construction project. Stuff beyond my control in this relationship (weather for example) has slowed the start.

I woke up to a lot of banging this morning with DH breaking Rule #1 to tell me the guys were outside working on the framing.

[Insert sound of record needle being dragged over an old LP.]

DH just came in to pick up his work stuff after dropping CU-3 off at school. "Too cold" he announces between an icicle incrusted mustache.

Apparently the guys are doing some prep. work only (cutting down the TechnoPosts) and then are shutting down the site. (-43 F with the wind chill is a bit, um, brisk I'll admit). They'll try again tomorrow.

Good for them. Bad for me. I'm getting cabin fever. TV is becoming a bunch of repeats. I've almost caught up on all the laundry (there's just no place to put it away). I'm loosing the larger brain cells that drive the interest to read, or write long prose. (I suspect it's lack of fresh air and sunshine because of the lousey weather.)

Maybe I should throw a party. Lots of whine and cheese here! ;-)

The little shit

Baby, if you haven't noticed yet, it's cold outside. Today has been identified as perhaps the second coldest day of this week. Possibly this month. To that end, our dear LS (little shit, aka CU-3) decided to use her *magic finger* to slide the crucial piece of steel from one side to the other, thus locking her dear parents on one side of the door, while she and CU-4 were snuggly on the other side.

Thanks to her Maman's ingenuity, and Papa's ability to execute good ideas, we all are back on the same side of the door now. CU-3 is a little bit unhappy about this, for many many reasons.

It's midnight and all is well

No snow yet, though the wind is definitely picking up. I'm kind of hoping for a snow day. I haven't had one of those in several years. Regretably, if it comes to fruition, CU-1 and 2 will only be around for part of the day. It's cross-over day.

Speaking of cross-over - I'd like to introduce another blog I spy. I spy is my virtual gallery. A bit of virtual exhibitionism. I'm hoping to post regularly to this site, much like Daily Dose of Imagery but I'm less inclined to learn all the ins and outs of technology to show things off like he does.

Winter, take two

Earlier this week I suggested Spring might be just around the corner. Well, maybe not. Currently, we're under a severe weather warning for snow and snow and a bit more snow just to be sure.

I believe the saying for March was in like a lion, out like a lamb?

We'll see if Mother Nature actually brings her full furry down on us for daring to think that we might be done with the snow gear for another year.

Spring is just around the corner

And so it begins

We've just started our reconstruction process and already it feels like it's slipping away from us financially.

I heard about people's project costs doubling. I'd been warned about extended time lines. What none of these fair weather warners didn't say was that it was self-inflicted.

DH and I went through the contract again. This time with a much more level head. We'd talked pie-in-the-sky when we first opened up the Medussa's box, hoping for the world.

Our contractor is good, fair and honest. That's on the plus side.

Costs of materials keep rising. That's on the negative side.

Our hopes and dreams (but not expectiations) are like a thong. Stuck in the middle.

This morning DH broke Rule #1 (for those of you who don't know or don't choose to remember, rule #1 is NEVER, EVER wake a sleeping woman) to tell me he got an update on the costs of three new windows as per the change request we were looking into. Three grand. I was awake faster then a double-espresso could shake me.

After a few mental explicatives, I started to do the math, knowing how limited our "extras" budget was. Where to cut, what to cut so that it makes a difference. (We've already commited to putting down our own floors in an effort to save some bling and flip it over to the fancy bathtub DH wants, and I've already poo pooed upgrading the hot water tank as a forced economy.)

Oh the joys joys joys of renovations.

Priceless

As posted on PostSecret this week:

I was having a bad day at work last week. I hoped my husband might send me some flowers to cheer me up but I know he’s busy right now. So I called the florist, ordered a bunch of flowers and had them delivered to his office. The card read “give these to your wife, she’s having a bad day.” The florist laughed, and so did my husband.

Uncle, aunt and all the extended family

I'm ready to say uncle.

For years I've been downplayings the challenges of having children. Today I'm 'fessing up saying that four is enough. At least four under the age of 18 and still living at home.

My day started off with CU-1 raising the dead (basically every one else in the house who happened to be sleeping) at 5:30 a.m. That's not too bad for most except I went to bed well after midnight, and CU-3 starts to act up when she's tired, and CU-2 just gets really really cranky.

After coralling and separating the children (the swimmers versus the non-swimmers), I went with the swimmers because it was "Bring a parent to class day". I hope the CUs realized how important it was that 1. I wore a bathing suit (a first in over 10 months), 2. I actually got into the water (I don't like getting cold or wet).

We were lucky and got buses both ways (which reduced the "why don't we have a car, I don't want to walk" conversations). DH was thankful for the extra pair of hands. I kept him busy though, as if he was attached to a bungy cord.

He just gets in the door, and then he's off with CU-2 for a birthday party and a quick groccery pick-up.

While he's off having a few minutes to himself, I'm at home with CU-1, 3 and 4. CU-1 and 3 have found sticks and are doing what kids do with sticks, CU-4 is doing what CU-4s of his age do best.

Me, I started thinking that four is enough.

For today.

Maybe.

Ok, so tell me how you really feel aka potty talk

As you know, we're having some work done on our home. This means that some things are getting displaced, and there's a bit of banging going on.

I thought it was CU-4 and I who would have to deal with the brunt of it all. Not so. There are the catz.

Big Purr has handled the changes the best, hanging out in the bathroom (next to the heater), frosting the towels for us. (It's ever so nice to get out of the shower/bath, to grab a nice, warm, furry towel. Share the love with us Purr. Share the love.)

Papa le chat had a few adjustment problems as well. When the new stairs came in, he wandered around in a big circle. Going down the old stairs and up the new. At least this one found the cat box.

Can't say that for André, aka the harp seal. He's having the hardest time of it all. At an over-the-top, over weight 17 lber, he still manages to waddle around and find the sunny spots. The construction's got him a little confused though. In the last two days, he's refused to go down the new stairs to the boxes at the landing. I figure it's been two days only by the volumenous dump he did in a file box containing project notes!

Thank you for your comments André.

Don't ask if you really don't want to know

The conversation went like this:

"Is this DH?"

"No. He's a work."

"Is this Mrs. DH?"

"Yeesss?"

"This is Claudine from The Sun."

Oh oh. Not again.

"Do you read The Sun?"

"Noooo."

"Would you be interested in subscribing to The Sun for 25 cents a day?"

"Noooo."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I don't like the paper and wouldn't wrap fish in it."


I find our local papers a bit much to take. They've got strong political leanings and each has its own problem as a media from which to gain information about my community. I don't subscribe to either. ;-)

Tasty

Finger lickin' good. Lip smakin'. These are terms I'd never have used to describe ... myself.

Today I discovered that I was both of these. After a significant feed this morning, CU-4 turned away with a very smug and satisified look and smacked those little lips.

Later, while I was pinned down giving CU-4 yet another top-up, CU-3 decided to give my hair a spit shine. Yah. It goes like this:

1. Spit into hand.
2. Whipe genetically lubricated hand into Mama's hair.
3. Repeat until Mama calls Papa for back-up.

Well, I've always wanted to be wanted, my children just give a whole new twist to the definition.

Fatigue

I don't get it.

Before I left on my one year, self-induced exile, I implicity stated I was willing to do work (come into the office, or work from home.) Since then, I've repeated heard nothing from my manager(s), and I've heard through the grape vine that there's been lots of work, but that it keeps getting reassigned to other people. Sooo, what to do without sounding like spoiled grapes?

Well, one thing I'm doing is not going into the office. Out of sight, out of mind. The other thing I'm doing is hanging out at home, thinking about things. It seems that this thinking is hard work. Well, between that and CU-4 and my hanging together just is exausting. I'm finding that, oh, between 2 and 3:30 we tend to nod-off and miss some of the best televion (for example HGTV's I want that), though we have been getting up in just enough time to collect the assortment of siblings.

Perhaps it's just the weather and we're hibernating, or maybe it's my body catching up on all the sleep it missed for the previous four months.

Mother Nature's revenge

After all the warmth and cuddliness of the festive 14th, Mother Nature's coming back with a vengence. Nasty cold is hitting this area, and CU-1 and 2 are in mid-Winter Carnival mode with an outing plan today! CU-3 is warm and cozy at day care and CU-4 and I are hanging out in winter wear at home as J. aka "the gas man" looks at our heating and air return systems to reroute it because of our current state of construction.

On that side of things, we've been told that the tentative date of demolition is Monday! Woo hoo! Here's hoping I've got pictures to post by mid-morning.

Here's to *Friendship Day*

There's a move afoot to try to double-brand this day as Friendship Day (at least that's what Y TV has been dubbing it).

On one hand, I think it's all a bit silly. On the other hand, I think it's brilliant. I'm thinking it's a bit more balanced (though politically correct) approach to celebrating love in it's many forms (and not just those who happen to be coupled on this day).

So here's to you all - Happy Friendship Day. I certainly appreciate having you all as friends.


And a special thank you to PC and Grandma C for checking in today. I appreciated the visits.

Hurray for Grandma's baby bags!

Just a quick note to publicly thank Grandma C and her inspired baby bags. Used on CU-3, CU-4 is now currently enjoying the bag-and-back reactor-type activity that occurs in this item - just like a bag n'bake turkey! Keeps CU-4 nice and warm until done! (For me, that usually means about six to seven hours of sleep, glorious, glorious sleep).