The Yahoos I've come across today

So today was like a twighlight zone episode.
I saw so many yahoos, you can't even believe it.

I know I work downtown and there are some very weird people on Yonge Street and some others streets, but today I saw some weirdos that take the cake.

It started with a lady crossing the street in her bathrobe... Crossing Islington Avenue to go to the gas station and buy cigarettes probably (she was going to the gas station..buying I do not know what). This at 6:30 in the morning and in fridgid weather.

As we drove to work I saw three different women applying make-up while they drove. One was attempting to put on Mascara and trying to change lanes on the Gardiner.

I also saw a dude shaving with one of the electric shavers, also while driving on Lakeshore.

Then a police officer comes out of nowhere on Bathurst and Adelaide and stops a streetcar, pulls the old man that just got on off the streetcar and onto the sidewalk. Not sure what that was about, but I think the officer was mad that the little old man crossed the street in front of the streetcar on a red light!

As I was crossing the street to get to my office building, after almost not finding a parking spot at my usual place... I see this woman driving and reading a book, not some small thing, but one of the Daniel Steele novels. How can you read and drive? I would say if the book is that good, get a book on tape or something.

At lunch, I saw a man wearing shorts along College Street, it was freaken -25 degrees!

During the afternoon I was taking a break and watering the plants in the office, as I looked out the window, I saw this young woman hurrying down the passway between our building and the next. Not weird you'd probably say, but then I saw three crazy squirrels running after her and snapping at her heels.

I went to the mall after work to renew my driver's licence and low and behold the damn office was closed at 6:00 PM even though the little thingy in the window said that the place is supposed to close at 7:00 PM on Tuesdays!
At least I got a spring jacket for $ 40 out of the deal at Winners....

Has anyone else had a bonzo day like this?

M.I.A.....Peanut

Um knock knock!....Hi....Remember me?!?!?!

So let me back track a little.....
Happy New Year - all the best in 2009!
Happy Inauguration Day - wow what hope and what a special day!.It was remarkable to see Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States.
Happy Valentine's Day - Hubby Dubby, you are the greatest in the world and I love you more than words can express!
Happy Family Day- we had a great day, just lounging at home
Happy Birthday Hubby Dubby!!!!!- today is my wonderful husband's birthday (32!)

Happy.....OK I know I've been missing in action. It's been what 2 months since my last post.

Things have been a world wind and to tell you the truth, for some reason I didn't feel like writing. I needed a to take a little time to 'find' myself again and get into the routine of things. So I'm back now. I'm committing to writing at least twice a week from now on. I promise!

Although I have been gone from the blog world, I really haven't been. I've been reading everyone else's blogs and keeping in touch that way. So thanks to so many of you, who have inspired me to start writing again.

I'm fully back at work and am not doing exactly what I thought I'd be doing at my 'job' and real estate has completely slowed down, so I've had to do some thinking lately.

I've been feeling that mom guilt for a while now and sometimes it really gets the best of me. I'm a little torn. I love to work and have a life and everything that comes with it, but I'm also feeling like I'm missing things with the Peanut and finding a work life balance is easier said than done.

The Peanut turned 1 on January 6th and that was a great day, although I had hoped to spend the day with her, but again because of work and a couple of meetings I had to attend, I couldn't. I can't believe she's 1 and that a full year has passed by.

We had a great birthday party for her - actually really it was for me, but we all had fun. It was a "small/big" party - small in that it was only our immediate family, but given that the hubby dubby has so many siblings it ended up being almost 20 people none the less. There was a little bit of drama shall I say, as we decided that presents would not be opened at the party, but in private later on. My in-laws felt that it was not right, although what they don't understand is that we do not want our child to learn that birthday is about presents or who gave what. I really hate this about them. It's always about a show with them. (I 'll leave that all for another post).

The Peanut has grown so much and is such a different person from that little bundle a year ago. Her personality is really shining now and she's such a character. I have a sassy Peanut on my hands and she loves to test everything.

She started walking about 2 weeks ago and now is pretty much running around and getting into everything...I mean everything. She takes the pots and pans out of the cupboards and wants to bang them together, she takes the remote and tries to hide it, wants to eat what we eat and loves to read her bobo (book). She looks for Dada as soon as she gets home, and sees his car, by popping her head into every room on the first floor of our bungalow. She loves to bang on the window to get the squirrel's attention and tidy up her toys by throwing them in her basket. When I'm dusting she likes to grab one of her bibs and wipes away at the floor or her little table and chair and says clee, clee.

The newest thing the Peanut does is sway her bum to the music and taps her right foot when she hears a beat she likes. She also loves to point at herself every time she sees her reflection in the mirror or a window. Seriously, where do they learn this stuff?

Even when I'm dead tired and frustrated from work, as soon as I get to my mom's to pick her up or the Peanut comes through the door on the days the hubby dubby picks her up, and she says Mama! everything washes away and I feel happy and re-energized again.
(Don't ask me that when I've been with her all day and she won't nap, eat or be fun at all, but you know how it is)

I can't believe how something so small like her saying Mama, can just melt me and make me feel like everything is good and I'm doing exactly what I should be doing.

So that's my update for today....I'll be back!

We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas......

For those you who celebrate Christmas, we just want to wish you a very Merry Christmas, filled with happiness, lots of food, family and health. For those who don't celebrate, hope you have a happy filled Holiday with food, family and health! - I know essentially the same.

Weather you celebrate Christmas or not, I think this time of the year is a magical one bringing family and friends together. Crackling fires, warm drinks and comforting food always welcome and envelope friends and family into a home.

I am really looking forward to this Christmas as it's the Peanut's First Christmas! It's so much fun to see her in awe of the tree, Santa and all the cheer surrounding the house. I can't wait to see her face when she is presented with gifts and the excitement our family has to spend time with her.

So far she isn't fazed by anything, but loves to look out the window and watch the snow falling and the Christmas lights flicker. It's amazing to experience all of this anew and to see it all through her eyes. Right now she doesn't understand the whole gifts thing and the 'bad' things that sometimes come with the season, but she does understand that we celebrate as a family and that this is a time when we eat and have fun and spend time together.

The hubby and I don't want her to think that Christmas is about what she will be receiving and what gifts she gets, so I don't think we'll be telling her about the whole Santa thing, etc. I'm hoping to teach her that Christmas is about giving of one's time and love, that it's about making time to spend time with family, sharing food and conversation.

How do you all help your little ones, understand what Christmas is really about?

Sometimes it's a struggle to split days and everything, but we try to equally slip the time with my parents and my in-laws. Today we'll have dinner (it's an important and big deal for us tonight in terms of Christmas) with my parents and then we'll go to my in-laws after for dessert and some time there. Tomorrow we'll go to mass in the morning and then have lunch at my parents with my aunts, uncles and cousins and then go to my in-laws again for dinner with the Hubby's cousins, aunts, uncles and all our nephews, etc. Luckily we don't live too far away from each other. A lot of restraint on my part is going to be needed, as there will be so much food at both places!

I`ll update you all as to how the holidays unfold and the Peanut`s reaction to everything.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Comings, Goings and Other Mushy feelings

How long has it been?

Work has completely engulfed my life and it's been a big transition. Talk about work-life balance, I'm still tipping the scales on that and haven't been able to balance it all.

Halloween was really weird. We bought so much candy and treats in anticipation of having lots of kids in our new neighbourhood, and we had next to none. The peanut was dressed up and super cute! It was so much fun having her dressed and taking pictures. She loved the jack-o-lantern and was not scared at all of it.

November came and went so quickly, it was such a blur. I can't believe we're in December already(So I started this post in November, and today is December 7th) and so close to Christmas! This time last year, I was counting down the days to my last work day and getting everything ready for the Peanut's arrival. Wow!!!!!

The Peanut is cruising around the house, hanging on to furniture, babbling, opening cupboard doors and pointing at everything she thinks is interesting or wants to touch, but can't reach. She has the funniest belly laugh and squeal. I really can't believe that in a short time she will be ONE! She'll go from baby to toddler and is growing up so quickly.

Yesterday in the few minutes that I finally found to myself, I was organizing the hundreds of pictures that we've taken over the past year. I'm not a crier, but was I was balling as I looked at the Peanut at a couple of hours, days, months and how she has changed so much.

Seeing the world through new eyes and experiencing precious moments with a child is one of the greatest wonders of life. Material goods, work, stress, money, things, just don't matter when you have a child holding your face with both hands and smiling at you. There is no love like the love that is felt by a parent. The sleepless nights, crying, growing pains are all worth it when you look into the eyes of your child or when you are watching your little one as they are peacefully asleep. That is when I feel that the world is OK, that everyone should be so lucky and privileged to be a mom or a dad.

Sorry guys for getting all sentimental, but I think I'm allowed at least one mushy post!

Getting back to myself

I'm going back to work monday!?!?! I know, what???

The peanut will be nine months on Monday and I will be dropping her off at my mom's and going back to work.

This sounded like a good idea when the hubby and I talked about it say at the beginning of the summer, now... I'm not completely sure.

I'm super happy to go back and get into a new routine, finding myself again and balancing the whole worklife / familylife thing, but at the same time I'm feeling guilty.

I have been taking on some clients here and there for the past 3 or so months, but this is different. This is everyday, nine to five and then running around selling homes, doing open houses and hustling for clients on top of all of that. I'm a little bit excited and then I feel guilty that I'm excited. Has this happened to any of you?

I am really lucky to have my mom as the peanut's caregiver during the day, day in and day out - I thank my lucky stars all the time - I guess this eases my leaving the peanut guilt, since I'm not leaving her with a stranger and know that she'll be well taken care of.

It's just that the Peanut is doing all these crazy things now that I don't want to miss, she's crawling up a storm and cruzing by holding onto furniture and moving around like that. She blows kisses and gives hugs on request and she babbles like a madwoman. I'm afraid I'm going to miss all the big stuff, although my mom says that I won't at all.

I am also lucky to have a career that is pretty flexible and I can come and go as I please, the only thing is that the more time I am able to put into it, the more fulfilling and financially rewarding it is. Money is something that isn't in the forefront of our life, but it does help in continuing with the things we are accustomed to and will come in handy for all of the renovations and updating we need to do in the house.

So how did you all cope with going back? What about the "getting out the door" routine? I'm wondering how that's going to be... guess I'll find out on Monday.

Wish me luck!

You know you're a mother when...

1 - you go a month without blogging and it doesn't seem like it's been that long...

2 - having breakfast consists of a couple cups of coffee and left over pizza from last night, because it's the first thing you can get ready without a pesky peanut flipping out because she wants breakfast...

3- track/yoga/pajama pants are your daily clothing staple. You even have "nice" yoga pants to go out... oh and a drawer full of cotton t-shirts all with some sort of stain on them...

4-you have nursing bras of every colour under the rainbow, but don't have any nice bras as your old ones don't fit anymore...

5 -going to home depot, grocery shopping or doing laundry without your little one at your heels is "me time"...

6-you were looking forward to reading your new book and enjoying a glass of wine, but the book still sits in its bag and the bottle has been left unopened on the kitchen counter a month later...

7-your newest accessory is a purse that is big enough to act as a diaper bag as well...

8-you can't remember the last time you went to dinner and a movie without rushing back or having your cell phone on the whole time...

9- you know what a Backyardigan, Wiggle or Nouky is...

10- you know exactly how many times your little one has pooped and or peed, but you realize you haven't gone all day...

11-bottles, bibs, spit cloths are all over the house

12-walking through your living room in the dark is like walking through a mine field, don't step on the squeeky toy or that singing toy at 2 in the morning... you'll be sorry...

13-wiping butts and spit/vomit doesn't faze you at all, you can go right back to eating within 2 seconds flat

14- "pafueee", "yummy yummy", "poopee" are all part of your daily vocabulary...


and last but not least...


you know every word to the "wheels on the bus", "old McDonald", "you are my sunshine" and "Itsy bitsy spider" and sing them loud and proud pretty much every day.

It's raining, it's pouring, dude... stop snoring!

The grass is extremely green this year! No drought in the T.O. since it's been raining pretty much every single day for the past couple of weeks!
The great thing about this is that it's given me time to unpack slowly since we're stuck inside most days because of the rain. I know we can go outside in the rain and we won't shrivel up because of a little rain, but it's hard to take the peanut out and all her stuff on a good day let alone when there is no incentive and it's grey and gloomy.
The new house is great, old and needing a lot of renovations, but none the less it has great energy and I love it. Moving day was crazy since the big family all wanted to help. - Note to self... shouldn't complain about having huge family help moving - Thing is that there were around 20 people moving boxes and painting and running in and out. Kitchen boxes ended up in the bedroom, I couldn't find our washroom stuff box and our bedroom stuff was found in the garage! None the less even though all the boxes were marked nothing ended up where it was supposed to be.
We now have a lot of decisions to make in terms of where to go with the renovations and see what options are the best for our family and budget. Oh joy! renos... If you've ever lived through one, you know it's the hardest thing ever.
So the rain hasn't been all in all a bad thing, it's given me the time to put as much as possible away. Some things are straying in boxes since when we begin the reno, I'll have to pack it up again and it's not an everyday item.
The hubby dubby surprised me last week by taking off the whole week. We didn't get to actually do any vacationy type of stuff or even go out and have fun, but it was great to having him home and sharing some happy family moments with the peanut. Also having him watch the peanut for little bits of time, helped me get a dent on the laundry.
The peanut has always been a pretty good sleeper, but last week was not a good one. She'd wake up every two or so hours and it would take forever to get her sleep. I was at the point where I was going to just let her cry it out because I couldn't take it anymore. I'm still on the fence about the sleep training and crying it out issue.
The problem was also that every time I'd get her to sleep and then was trying to get to sleep myself, the hubby dubby would be snoring! He snores like crazy and sometimes I have to kick him to get him to stop. I can't drift off to sleep if I keep hearing his crazy sounds. I wish it would just stop. Funny how sleep issues come in multiples. Sheesh.
This week, I hope will be much better. He's back at work, but the peanut slept 7 hours straight last night and the night before and since I didn't wake up, I didn't hear the snoring. All is well in peanut land!