Vacation Time

Ah vacation. It’s a wonderful thing.

My son woke up at 5 and, in my sleep state, I thought I had to get up and go to work. By the time I brought him back into my bed, I realized no rushing was necessary.

In fact, we got to sleep in until 7:30 a.m.

When he turned on the radio and the weatherman told us it was going to be -30 and blustery and cold, we opted to stay at home and play rather than go grocery shopping.

It’s going to be a fun, relaxing week everyone.

PS
Christmas was fantastic. I hope yours was, too.

Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas.

I hope your day is white, fun-filled and sounded by the people you love.

Lisa

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I have been getting to work in record time this week.

Christmas, March Break and the summer are all great times to travel on Hwy. 404 because so many people take vacation.

I left 10 minutes late yesterday and that would usual cause morning stress but I just zipped through all the usual slow spots.

It’s almost a shame that I am also off next week - almost, but not quite.

The Time is Near

I was unplugging the Christmas tree lights the other night and realized I haven’t spent nearly enough time just enjoying the sparkle.

We put our tree up the first weekend of December. I water the tree twice a day, my son and I play beside it (and we pull him back as he goes to eat the lights or pull the balls off) but somehow the days of December have flown by without me simply sitting by the tree and enjoying the view.

I love Christmas. I don’t love how the holiday comes – and then leaves – so quickly. It’s Dec. 22. I have only watched three Christmas movies and listened to my CDs on my IPod a dozen or so times. I have done some baking, but not enough. I have done some wrapping, but love to do more.

There needs to be more time to simply enjoy the lead up to Christmas and then more time to enjoy it after the one day.

I think everyone should be off four days after Christmas so there is time to look at the tree, enjoy your gifts, visit with family and friends and feel the peace of the season.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Quick to Criticize, Slow to Thank

My apologies to both Huggies and Pampers. It seems that I am also guilty of being quick to criticize and slow to thank.

I try really hard to say thank you.

When I receive gifts, I always follow up with a thank-you card. When I read a reporters stories, I try to call to say ‘Great job’ almost as often as I call to ask questions.

People like to be recognized for a job well done. Human nature, I suppose.

So with that, I apologize to both disposables diaper companies. I wrote several blog entries complaining about sitting in puddles after my son peed through his diaper. As my friend pointed out, as I use cloth all day, my son has not grown with the diapers so it is hard to know which size to buy. And I had no idea the weight range was just a guide.

So you could see why I was having troubles.

So I wrote some nasty blogs about both Pampers and Huggies, tried another size and then was silent. I was no longer sitting in puddles, but I didn’t tell anyone that either.

And then the coupons started, with both Pampers and Huggies responding to my email and sending me coupons in the mail.

My son is in Size 5 diapers – first Pampers, now Huggies – and usually stays dry for most of the night.

So thank you Pampers and Huggies for responding to my email, teaching me the ways of disposables and for continually sending me ways to save money.

Thank you.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Why can’t workplaces get the temperature correct?

I am sitting at work with a sweater and my jacket on, wondering if I should slip out of my shoes and put on my outdoor winter boots. Often I am so cold I get all-over body shakes and I use the heat from my lunch to warm my hands and body.

Unfortunately, I can’t hold onto my lunch forever and as soon as it is consumed, the heat is gone and I am back to being frozen.

The only thing that works is to get into my car. crank the heat to high and drive for a hour. By the time I get home, I am usually warm or at least thawed. Sometimes, I require a hot chocolate and a sweater or two.

I commented to my boss this morning that I was wondering why I bother to dress up. No one can see what I wear any way so wouldn’t it make more sense for me to wear jeans, a sweater and running shoes so I could be comfortable and warm?

His response was what I was expecting - you are probably right but you can’t wear jeans.

Everything is New Again

What’s really neat about babies, and toddlers, is that everything is new.

While my son experienced his first snowfall last year, he was wrapped in a snowsuit, in a blanket and then in his carriage. It’s not quite the same thing.

This year, he is really experiencing snow for the first time. After our first snowfall, and before we left for the day, I brought in a handful of snow and gave it to him.

He touched it. Squished it. And of course ate it, offering me his ‘Ew, gross’ face. He then put it down. Picked it up. Squished it again.

Yesterday, I loved watching his face as he pointed out the big, fluffy flakes that were falling from the sky, not only in the window in front of him, but also the window to the right of him.

And while he also experienced Christmas last year, this year will also be tons of fun as experiences the sights, sounds and tastes of the season.

Not Quitting My Day Job

I like to be creative.

Unfortunately, the desire is there but the skill is sadly lacking.

Each year, I attempt a holiday craft and each year my family graciously accepts it. My parents often hang my attempts on their tree, which is quite kind of them.
Sometimes I am successful. Other times, not so much.

I also try to be creative in other ways such as scrapbooking. However, what a page looks like in my head is often not what it looks like when, two or three hours later, I finish the design. I also handcraft cards, and I am pretty sure my family members are whispering among themselves that they wished I would just forget their birthdays.

This Christmas, I am at it again.

Remember, it’s the thought that counts.

Ah Friday

Fridays are a wonderful.

Other than for the obvious reason, Fridays are also wonderful because there is less traffic.

I can leave at the same time, drive at the same speed and make it into work 10 minutes earlier. I can flip on the radio, turn on the Christmas tunes on the iPod and just drive, rarely touching the brakes.

Every day could be Wonderful-Traffic Fridays if more companies would embrace the idea of telecommuting and flex hours. Not only would it make for happy employees, companies would be doing their part for the environment.

One more thing:

Happy Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates the Festival of Lights.

Almost Over

This has felt like an exceptionally long week. I woke up today thinking it was Friday.

Unfortunately, I was wrong and Thursday dragged by as much as the three days that preceded it. All day long I thought my work week was almost done and all day long I had to keep reminding myself that I do indeed have to get up tomorrow and face another day.

The lengthy week likely felt even longer because of yesterday’s three-hour morning commute. By the time Wednesday was done, I had spent more than four hours in the car.

Today’s weather, while much improved, caused a bit of stress because the radio announcers kept saying the roads were covered in black ice and snow squalls were likely.

I never hit either, thankfully, but people were like we were so while we were all safe, it was another long, stressful drive.

But if my week felt lengthy, I couldn’t imagine how it felt to be my friend CM, who had to return to work after being off for a year’s maternity leave.

It has been more than a month since my own return but I remember that week well.

Our long week is almost over. Thank goodness.

Bring on Miami’s Socks

We call them Jo’s socks.

My friend Jo A.’s mother bought these thick, white sports socks in Miami. As in Florida. As in no winter. As in no snow. As in hot. As in sticky. As in muggy. Miami.

These socks are at least five years old and both my husband and I go directly to Jo’s socks when we are doing any outdoor winter activities such as ice fishing, hiking or snowshoeing.

Miami socks. Great for Canada’s winter.

Pathetic, Really

“Pathetic isn’t he?” Ron Weasley asks Harry Potter in the first book of the same name.

“Just a little,” replies Harry.

And pathetic is what you would say to my attempt at building a gingerbread house.
Despite the urge to create a cookie masterpiece, I should have known the end result would be far less spectacular than what I had imagined. After all, my incredibly patient mother vowed she would never make one again.

My brothers and I used to make Christmas gifts from my mom’s brother, sisters and parents. One year, we created six gingerbread houses, which, I might add, looked a lot better than the monstrosity I created yesterday.

First of all, I used a mix. My husband free-handed the house design, which I then baked and cooked up trees, a reindeer and gingerbread men with the extra dough. Yesterday, I whipped up a different type of icing and tried to stick the pieces together.

Yikes.

My peaked roof became a flat one and the entire house has a lean to it. I could hear the ‘Christmas lights’ falling off and hitting the ‘ground’ and the wreath slid down, pushing the door to the floor. But my chimney and gingerbread man look good, and the presents - which I did create - are pretty impressive, too.

Unfortunately, the icing tastes terrible and the cookie itself isn’t that great either. So it will be pathetic decoration for the holidays and then the compost can have it.

Hello Tree

It’s starting to look like Christmas at our house.

We went Christmas tree hunting today. Sadly there was no snow this year, which made it less festive but easier to cut the tree and lug it back to the car.

We went to a different tree farm this year. The farm was a little closer to home and it offered complimentary hot cider AND hot chocolate. However, the wagon ride didn’t start until after we walked the majority of the farm and we had a hard time finding the perfect tree so we’ll return to the usual spot next year.

We walked for a while, up hills, over rope, down hills, across field until finally my son and I played, while Daddy scouted out some trees further back.
He found one, which we all liked and now it’s in our living room, awaiting lights and decorations.

I love decorating the Christmas tree.

I love pulling out the ornaments I have had since I was our son’s age, looking at them again and placing them in key tree spots.

While a number of my friends like the look of a store-decorated tree, where ornaments match and are placed strategically in specific spots, I like the I-can-tell-it-was-decorated-by-non-professionals tree - ornaments that were bought with love and placed on the tree the same way.

Hello to the continuation of Christmas.

Bird Watching

I love watching for hawks.

I had heard the sighting of these magnificant birds is rare but that doesn’t seem to be the case wherever I am.

I often see them soaring in the sky, perching on tree branches or highway signs, swooping down to catch prey or flying off with the dinner still struggling in its talons.

New Experience

I just shopped at Amazon.ca. While I have purchased expensive airline tickets online, the thought of spending $10 at an organization I have never dealt with before made me a little nervous.

I tried yesterday, but the movie I was trying to purchase was only available through a third party, which I didn’t like. How do I know who the third party is and whether I will be ripped over and never receive what I ordered?

So after speaking to my coworker, who pointed me to the website in the first place, I decided to try it again. He suggested sticking with new items from Amazon.ca, which he has never had a problem with.

So while my little guy was sleeping, I logged back into my account and shopped away.
It was fun, easy to use and my gifts will arrive in time for Christmas. If I hated wrapping, there was also a gift-wrapping service.