Kindred Spirits

I had an amazing time when my friend came to visit. I felt bad that we didn't have anything specific planned, except for a trip to the zoo on a hot day right after we picked her up, but it seemed to be just what she needed simply because it is the exact opposite to what she has with her day's back home. We visited parks, went for a few walks, I got a few stupid projects done, watched a few movies, drank coffee and chatted on the couch. Nothing fancy but when I look back at the last eleven years it seems that those are the types of moments where we built our friendship and we pick right back up where we left off whenever we get together even if there are children being added to the mix each time!

My hour on my own while the kids are napping went too quickly while she was here. We'd start talking and before I knew it it was time wake up Sweet One. How is it that I make more sense to myself just by having her around? Maybe it is just her ability to put things in perspective for me. She's wise, compassionate and fun. A true kindred spirit.

She loves my  kids, too. It is amazing to see just how much as I watch them play together. She was always ready to read books or draw chalk on the sidewalk with Sweet One. Just this morning Big Love and Sweet One were about to draw another hopscotch grid when I heard, "Auntie like drawing chalk with me!" They have a special connection and I love the imprint it leaves on Sweet One's mind and heart.

She will be having a baby in November. I couldn't be happier for her but I also couldn't be sadder because I want to be there to help her like she did with me and my babies. I don't see how I could make that work unless I win the lottery! It is too far for a winter trip and then I am afraid because I don't know when we will be able to see each other again. I hope it is sooner than I fear it might be.

I'm sitting here on my couch trying to remember all the things we talked about. I miss her. And she knows it because I probably send way too many emails with little tidbits that I wish I could share with her over coffee at the regular time and place we meet to catch up on each other's week. I'll pretend for now and remember...

"True friends are always together in spirit."
                                          -Anne Shirley

Sweet One's Mortimer moment

I was happy when we were able to go on short trips and leave the portable DVD behind. In its place we listen to Robert Munsch telling his stories. Sweet One gets very involved and shouts along with the kids who are also in the recording enjoying the catchy lines that Munsch writes into each and every one of his stories. I remember listening to these on a couple road trips with a good friend and her young daughter and the nostalgia of listening to these stories again - well, it's definitely one of my favorite moments.

Three nights ago Sweet One went to sleep as she has for I don't know how long. Stories, lights out and to sleep. After stages where it was a challenge, it was great to have her going to sleep so well again. Then something switched. She wanted a nightlight on in her room and for two nights I obliged. Being a person who is light sensitive at night myself I was worried that it might affect her sleep but it didn't seem to. She slept quite soundly, despite being sick, for two nights.

Last night this kid absolutely did not live up to her name. She was rude, lippy and quite honestly, a little bitch! We took away a few items that are her favorite to play with for today and finally got her quiet. I left her room around 8:15 and was relieved when we didn't hear much more protest.

9:15. "Clang, clang, rattle bing bang, gonna make my  noise all day..." at the top of her freakin' lungs! It was ridiculous both in the hilarity that she was now quoting "Mortimer" and the fact that it seemed to have come out of nowhere. The twenty minutes that followed with screaming and the protests of having the nightlight moved into the closet so the light wasn't directly on her face was a fukking gong show that I really hope is not repeated any time soon. We survived, a little worse for wear and not nearly as relaxed as we often are when we go to sleep.

This morning seems to be off to an earlier start than usual for Little Man and a not-so-Sweet One who is pissed off that we have confiscated her new scissors. It's 7:15 and I have already put her back into her room because I will not listen to her being a rude little bitch all day. Not so sure I'm going to survive her being three and a half. But I know someday we are going to laugh our asses off at our little Mortimer going off an hour after we thought she was sleeping!s

Rookie

I'm moments away from starting last night's episode of Rookie Blue. I started watching it from the first day it aired simply because I was curious about what it was going to do and it has grown on me. It's my dose of Canada since it is filmed in Toronto with a predominantly Canadian cast. So many moments scream 'Canadian TV' - sometimes cheesy acting, Epstein being a complete goof, an almost naive quality that makes me adore each character. I used to hate that Canadian shows always had such a strong signature on them, now I adore it. As soon as one episode is over, I can't wait for the next. Swarek and McNally? Even better than Grey and McDreamy.

This season, every time I think of watching an episode I think of my Little Man. We had some nights last summer where he just wouldn't go to sleep until 1030 or 1100. For a month or two it happened about once a week and since we figured it would eventually pass, there were nights that we just gave up and brought him back downstairs and let him cuddle. In my memory I see him lying on the floor beside me watching the TV. Our heads propped on a rolled blanket. His eyes were truly locked on the tv just as mine were, except he was much more tired! So cute. My little boy who is now running around and saying words. Mum-mum, Dada, ba(ll), papa (popsicle), coo-coo (cookie) and many more.

I can't believe it was a whole year ago that he was just a rookie in this world. Now he's finding his footing and running as quickly as he can, full speed ahead!

$2.50 I'll never get back!

I hear so many stories of people finding great bargains at garage sales or amazing items to then refurbish and add to their homes that end up being amazing. I have two young children to clothe and while many of their items are hand-me-downs (some of these are Sweet One's favorites) it could probably help if I didn't buy other things I need new. There are items for our home I'd love to find in a pre-owned condition.

The problem? I'm a little lazy. Or I don't know where to go. Or I don't have the patience for rifling through people's crap to find that one little hidden gem that makes it all worth it. I also have a bit of an issue with not knowing exactly where things came from. Perhaps if I lived somewhere that was a little more affluent? I don't know. Another problem is that garage sales are usually on weekends - which don't exist for me. Big Love only gets one day off a week and that is Friday. I'm not about to cart a 14 month old boy and a 3.5 year old girl to multiple garage sales on my own because that would be like asking for a gong show to blow up in my face.

I also have a really crappy system of garage sale-ing. Take for instance yesterday. The kids and I were on our way home from our usual cinnamon bun trip Saturday morning (Big Love had left in the other direction to go to work) and I stopped at a garage sale at the end of our block. I looked around, found a German-English dictionary in the "Help Yourself" bin, grabbed a Pittsburgh Penguins and a New York Rangers cap for the kids and then looked through some CDs. It said "Box of CDs $2". I figured that two bucks for a CD wasn't a bad idea so I looked through. I saw a lot of CDs from my high school years and came upon a Barenaked Ladies CD. I grabbed it. Once I was done my hunt I gave the woman $2.50. She told me that the CDs were actually $2 for the whole box because they just wanted to get rid of them. They were her son's and the garage sale was to downsize as she and her sister were moving to Chicago to be closer to him. I felt uncomfortable at the idea of asking her just how much she'd like then so to keep my $2.50. She said thank you.

I have no great gift for haggling because I'd rather pay way more than they're actually asking! Kinda dumb. But it got better as the day went on. Sweet One wore her Penguins cap right from the start. She hardly wanted to take it off. (The day before the boys across the street had all gotten caps from the same garage sale so she was just happy to have her own.) A little while later she wanted Little Man to wear his cap so I put it on and as I was trying to adjust it, all the little poky things that help to size it pulled out. Lovely! Oh well. It was only 25 cents so I thought we could walk down the street and get him a new one except they were all done with their sale. An hour or so later I was about to start supper and thought I'd listen to my new CD but the case was empty. Another stellar bargain!

I figure that if I were to start seriously going to garage sales and continue in this pattern, I'll end up broke with nothing to show for it!