Boo! Boo?

Scared you!!!

And now for my other 5 year old son, who makes the prettiest witch in the neighbourhood.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween.

BOO!

Favourite Blogger Day!

I received an note about this day on Facebook from a group I joined. Not sure how official this day it is but I knew instantly who I would blog about. You all know her. And if you know her well enough, you also know how much she will eat this up, being the Leo that she is. My favourite blogger is...

Dani.

Why do I love Dani? It is her 'fault' that ever entered Blogdom. In fact I am pretty sure I asked her "what the hell is a 'blog'?" She spent many of her valuable hours providing me with answers to questions I bombarded her with when I was considering doing a blog myself. (I bet if she only knew back then what a half-assed blogger I would be, she may have spent that time doing something much more productive, like making meatloaf and sweet potato fries, or guacamole, or watching the Amazing Race).

Dani's blog is what it is, and it is what she is. Intelligent, smart, witty, funny, emotional, passionate, meaningful, entertaining, insightful, amusing, heartfelt, honest, brutally honest, proud, strong, sincere, and I could go on. That's her. On the internet or IRL, it's all her. Really, she's the same. It is the best.

She blogs about her kids, her family, her ups and downs with infertility, her pregnancies, her deliveries and everything in between (snicker). Anything that truly means something to her, with love, adoration and passion. She makes us laugh, smile, think and cry. She gets us riled up to share our thoughts and opinions.

She shares with us photos of her beautiful children, their family vacations, their day trips, their every days.

She blogs about current events, the news, politics, movies, and even does book reviews. (She's very intellectual!)

She has fun, yay days, comment parties, and bitches about her annoying neighbours.

She is a media whore, and damn good at it. I admire that in her too. Not that she is a whore, rather she is the type of woman who knows what she wants, what she likes, and she does what she can to get it. We could all learn from that. I know I could.

Dani was my first internet friend. You know the kind, the person you have never met, nor even spoken with on the phone, yet you share so much between each other, kinda like falling in love (in a friendship way, just to clarify) so that when you do meet in person, it's like winning the lottery.

Since then, each time I have managed to hang out with Dani IRL, whether it is a dinner party of gaggling, wine drinking females, a family get together, or just some one-on-one time, there is never anything other than the pure enjoyment of just hanging out together. I have never felt that pressure to 'pack it all in' the few precious moments I actually get her to myself. It is simple, going to the mall, the park, or sitting on her living room floor five feet apart while a 12 month old Simon learns to walk, going back & forth oozing with squeals of delight. She knows what is important, all while keeping things best simple. We could learn from that.

I hold respect for Dani like I hold for so few people. There are most things we can discuss via email, but the few things that warrant that personal touch, usually gets a phone call. That's respect. We could learn from that.

She doesn't get mad when I don't comment on her blog, even though I read it every day. I don't always read every word, cause there are some things I just don't get. The one thing I do like to get though, is my daily dose of Dani.

I love her.

The Production, starring...

What is bedtime like in your world? Specifically that of the younguns.

I always pictured bedtime to be full of warm fuzzy cuddles, snuggles, stories, giggles, kisses, sweet nothings, the final good night, the flick of the night light and be done with it. Right?

What? What do you mean WRONG? Huh? I had my mead up my what? Oh. I see.

Bedtime here isn't a simple task of jammies, teeth, hands & face, story, kiss & bed.

It is a P-R-O-D-U-C-T-I-O-N.

And I don't get it.

It doesn't matter what time you start the 'routine' it just always seems to take way too long than it should. It's a friggin' circus!

Asking for jammies to be put on anywhere from 2-631 times. One thing that occasionally works is the now famed "Jammie Race" to see who can put their jammies on the fastest. I am on a winning streak.

Then the bathroom duties, whoever hasn't number two-ed during the day is asked to try. If you ask T, it's a done deal. If you ask B, it it like you just asked him to pull out his toe nails one at a time. You'd think with all the screaming and protesting that is in fact what is actually happening. I am surprised the neighbours have yet to call public security on us based on all the noise.

Then we ask each of them to pick one book they'd like us to read to them. This can take till the following Thursday. Then you read the book(s) that were finally chosen, you know, "The End. What a great story. Please get into your beds now." Only to be followed by some severe protesting and whining, and often tears, "But that wasn't the book I really wanted."

Sigh.

Then into their beds they go.

I would now like to pause for a brief prayer:

Thank you God, for providing me with at least one child who falls asleep, without protest, every night, within moments of his head hitting the pillow. This makes my life a happy place. Amen.

But the 'other guy' is another story. It can take up to TWO hours (not a typo) for him to actually fall asleep. The latest? He picks his nails, fingers and toes. WTF?

"Why aren't you going to sleep?"

"Mommy! I can't stop picking my nails!"

"Well, honey, you have control over that. You can make yourself stop whenever you want. You are in control." (I think I am brilliant, giving him complete control!)

Final solution: we are now wrapping his hands with the two flannel blankets he has slept with since he was a newborn. It's like he is a newborn and you are trying to prevent him from scratching himself, but only now, my five year old has cuticle issues.

DH is away for practically the entire month. Prior to his departure for this most recent series of travels, the bedtime wasn't going smoothly for either of us parents. Now in his absence I am committed to making it better. I am bribing him (ssssshhhhhhhhh!) The stickers are on the calendar, we have 2, he earned another one tonight. If he gets to 5, we're off to Dollorama for a reward, and then I'll start it all over again. Barbarba Coloroso would not agree, but I am beside myself.

You'd think as an adult, a parent, something as simple as a kid not going to sleep would be easy-peasy to handle. Perhaps my coping mechanisms are on strike, cause by 9 PM, on a school night, I am beyond simple frustration with the kid, I am pissed off. Should I apologize for being so selfish and wanting my five year old asleep by 9 PM so I could watch Grey's Anatomy in real time and not on an hour tape delay thanx to the PVR? Sheesh. I don't think I am being all that unreasonable, really.

The Quest for a Simple Bedtime remains an unsolved mystery in my world.

As she emerges from under the...

...Facebook addiction. ACK!!!!!!! Scrabulous has sucked me in oooh sooo deeeep. Marla is a smart one and got out while she could. I am weak. Weak for scrabble.

So, where the HELL has the time gone? I can't even start. How about a few bullets.

• T & B are thoroughly enjoying school.
• They are learning so much french, it's so much fun for all of us.
• They love their respective teachers. Perhaps a little too much? Ah heck, what's wrong with having a crush on your kindergarten teacher?
• We are doing piano lessons, also going extremely well.
• Swimming lessons! Always fun!
• Is B really learning to read? By jove I think - YES!
• T has four loose teeth. Today I went to the library and brought home Robert Munsch's "Andrew's Loose Tooth" Too much fun reading that one!
• We love Robert Munsch. I bought five used Robert Munsch books for $2.50 today. Score!
• We have our Halloween costumes decided, not telling!
• B did a 300 piece puzzle.
• There is a 'naughty' boy at school trying to befriend B, how can I prevent that one? It is his fault B came home asking me, "Mom, what does sexy mean?" It broke my heart.
• Other than a nightly 60 minute ritual of complete rebellion against going to sleep from B, we are all extremely happy.

Me? Oh, you ask about me? And what on earth could I be doing with all my free time? OK - you asked (really, you did):

• I have NOT cleaned out one measly closet.
• I did clean the bathrooms!
• I play scrabble on Facebook.
• I have discovered an even more love of baking.
• I volunteer at the school at least twice a week.
• Did I mention the scrabble? on Facebook?
• I am swimming three mornings a week with a Masters Swim Team (that's the nice term for "You are old but like to swim a lot")
• I have had a few most enjoyable breakfast and lunch dates.
• I play way too much Facebook scrabble.
• I have already bought the snowsuits for this year.
• I got my haircut TODAY. Note it is a weekday. My first non-Saturday haircut in decades.
• I went away for a weekend, ALONE, to a wedding in Lake Placid, to take pictures! (a real post about that will happen, I promised Stacy...it's coming!)
• I also shopped at outlets that weekend. Canadian Dollar - woo hoo!
• More scrabble.
• I went away with the little boys to spend Thanksgiving weekend with cousins. The Hubs was away in India eating curry while we were making pumpkin heads and enjoying a delicious dinner.
• Then he came home for a few days, and now he is gone again till the 29th. (Dubai, Bahrain, Macau, China) You know, the usual run of the mill business trip.

And now I must make lunches, take out the recycling and then, perhaps, play scrabble.

I miss you all. See you soon, or if not sooner, on Facebook.

xo