11 January 2014

So this happened this week...


Can you guess why? It’s a GIRL!

Hubby and I can hardly believe our luck. We always figured that we would have two boys. I would have been happy with another little guy, especially after all the ups and down it took us to get to this point; a girl is just the icing on the cake. I actually cried when I found out during the ultrasound.

To celebrate, I did what any other woman would do – I shopped! I just had to rush out and mark the moment by getting baby girl her first frilly little outfit. I’ll admit that I felt totally out of my depth in the girl’s department – the clothing just seems so much more complicated. Something tells me I’ll get the hang of it though.

Drew’s reaction to the gender reveal was very sweet. He is very excited to have a little baby sister to “protect” and has already started taking the role quite seriously. He is forever kissing my belly, calling her beautiful, and telling her about all the neat things they can do when she comes out. It's fun to see how engaged he is and how much he wants to be part of the process, I guess that’s one of the benefits of a larger age gap. He gets the concept a bit better at this age and is eager to help. The one burning question he does have is, “How on earth did she get in Mommy’s belly?” No doubt, the response will likely need its own blog post.


04 January 2014

Sexy laundry

First off, get your mind out of the gutters!

I’m a mother of a crazy four-year-old boy and I’m rapidly approaching porpoise size with my current pregnancy. You know darn well there is nothing in my current wardrobe befitting of the title “sexy.”

While my clothing certainly leaves a lot to be desired, at least I can say that the room in which I wash said clothing is looking a little more fashion-forward. Gone are the days of lusting over designer dresses and accessories, now I fantasize over dressing up my laundry room. Perhaps it’s a wee bit depressing, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t happy. After all, I do seem to spend a good deal of my “free” time in the laundry room. Basically, I just needed a functionality overhaul. Because my laundry room is on the main floor of my house, and readily visible to guests using the powder room. I would often leave the door open, revealing a bulging shelf and a myriad of washing supplies and towels strewn around. It wasn’t very practical. So this Christmas my husband fulfilled a longstanding request – the need for more storage!

So far we have put up new cabinets, added a cheap table top over the machine for folding clothes, and I splurged on some glass tiles to freshen up the space. Not being the handiest of people, I have to say that I am pretty proud of both hubby and I for our progress so far. Once we got into the reno spirit, we decided to rip out the hideous stained utility sink, and replace it with a modern stainless steel one. These projects always have a domino effect – you start with one little thing and you soon find yourself doing a whole room remodel.

So here is the look thus far. I wish I had taken a true "before" shot. Today we tackle the sink (side note - plumbing frightens me). I may go around wearing hideous clothing, but at least I will clean it in style. As you can see, I totally have my priorities straight.

03 January 2014

We aren’t cool anymore

First day back at work after the holidays and Drew’s first day back to school…sigh.

As if returning to the office wasn’t enough of a punch in the gut, the little guy’s enthusiasm was the real kicker this morning. He was so happy to be back from holidays. I suppose I should be thrilled, but a small part of me wishes he would show a tiny hint of remorse over not getting to spend the day with his father and I. When it comes down to it, we’re just no competition anymore when it comes to entertainment. I can’t say I blame him though, how do you live up to the same excitement as a whole classroom full of buddies?

I am hoping I can redeem my coolness this weekend by bringing Drew out to a museum or some sort of little excursion. The poor kid has been bottled up inside for the past four days straight because the temperature has been hovering around a bone-chilling – 27ºC (- 40º when you tack on the wind). I was supposed to bring him out yesterday but hubby’s car would not start so he needed to take mine for the day to go into the office. Needless to say, kiddo was none too happy. Here’s hoping the deep freeze tapers off soon because we’re all going a little stir crazy. I am both proud and ashamed to admit that this was the first day, in about four days, that I have gotten dressed. To mark the occasion, I even combed my hair ; )

01 January 2014

New year, new start

To say that my blogging abilities went downhill in 2013 is an understatement. I believe that my last post was a thrilling number written some twelve months ago about sitting in chocolate on my seat at work and the ensuing embarrassment…riveting stuff. Seems that’s all the effort I could muster in a whole year. WEAK.

I could blame it on being busy, on being a working mom or having other priorities but, truth be told, I just lost my writing mojo. And in a very sad way, I started to see myself as a bit dull. Who would possibly want to read about a 30-something year old working Mom that lives her life down to the detailed second? And therein lies the problem, I forgot how to take the time to have a personality or, better yet, to check in with myself from time to time to see how things were going. I forgot that writing doesn’t always have to be satirical on entertaining, sometimes it is just plain old therapeutic.

To say that 2013 was easy would be a lie. I lost two much-wanted pregnancies, my mother had a horrible fall which still has her laid up seven months later, and hubby suddenly lost his job after almost eight long years of happy and gainful employment. Work was also increasingly stressful for me, at times making me seriously consider whether I would need to take a break from it all. At times it was difficult not to wallow in the “bad” of 2013. But there is the good that helps counterbalance things.

So instead, let’s focus on the positives of a whirlwind year. I had a beautiful family vacation on Lake Erie, I won a job competition at work, Andrew started school and loves it, hubby found an ever better job only six weeks after losing his job and I am now 18 weeks pregnant. And, while work stress continues to be at all all-time high, I am just thankful to be employed. In many ways, 2013 helped to solidify what things in my life really matter, and what items are simply "extras".

As a new year begins, I’m not going to reveal a master plan of detailed resolutions. Instead I will only say one thing – this year I will take time for myself, whatever form that may take.

Wishing all my readers, if indeed there are still any out there, a healthy, happy and wonderful New Year.