Happy Valentine’s Day!

Even in their pajamas with wet hair they’re damn cute.

I may have redecorated, but it didn’t last long. We got home from my mom’s on the 28th and I redecorated that day as I unpacked all of the new (& SO cheap) purchases. It looked great, but Christmas was over and I was sick of it so it was all packed away on the 29th with the tree & ornaments to follow on the 30th. I’m still really glad I did it, though, because now it’s all put away properly and ready for next year. November 1st, baby! Down with Halloween. I’m so glad our Thanksgiving is early here so we can get out the holiday goods early – I’d hate to go through all of that work for just a few weeks because no matter when we decorate I want it gone by New Year’s Eve or whenever we get home from my mom’s.

For our New Year’s celebration this year, we decided to devote ourselves completely to the children (duh – story of our lives and we love it) so we threw a “Noon Year’s Eve” party for them and their friends (and, therefore, my friends). We had about 18 people here including us, and just ate some delicious potluck food, played, wore party hats & blew party horns. We did a countdown to noon and then screamed and kissed and hugged. It was all wrapped up by about 1:30 and the rest of the day was ours to clean up & hang out as a family. Once the kids were in bed, the Big Guy and I watched the Flames game as we do every New Year’s Eve, drank hot lemon water and relaxed. We headed to bed shortly after eleven because Bella had been up crying three times already so we just took her in with us. I was technically up well past midnight (thanks to my new toy) but the BG and Bella were snoring beside me by then.

New Year’s Day brought some great friends from out of town for brunch (have I shared my fruity french toast recipe with you? Because OH, it’s freaking amazing.) and then as we were about to head to my school to play in the gym another friend from out of town called and they were on their way over so we didn’t end up leaving the house all day.

I don’t really believe in resolutions simply because it’s time to buy a new calendar, but I do intend to drink more water and more hot lemon. Whether it’s a new year or not. And I still don’t have a new calendar. So there.

Yesterday we went tobogganing in the park behind our house, went to a live performance of Robert Munsch stories and then went to the school so I could check out my room before Monday and BG and the kids played in the gym. By then it was time for supper-bath-bed, thank goodness. We were beat. Then it was time to tackle the 10 bins of Christmas crap that covered our basement floor after being shoved down there so we could entertain upstairs. It’s all away until next year now, and if I ever get time to wash the cat hair and crumbs off the floor it will almost be habitable.

We took all three animals to the vet over the holiday. Thai is fat, Mavi has a yeast infection in his ears and Chloe has thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism, her body is eating her teeth, and a bunch of other things. Oh, the joy of loving animals. They get old too quickly. Thai and Mav are 6 and Chloe is 14, so nothing is out of the ordinary. The vet’s recommendation for Chloe is that she get $400 bloodwork soon-ish, and then we cure her cancer with radiation at which point she’ll go into isolation because she’ll be radioactive. If the radiation didn’t kill her, the isolation surely would. Her life expectancy with treatment. Average of 3 years. Without treatment? Average of 3 years. So, I think the decision is to love her and keep her happy as long as we can without major interference. As it stands, she eat & drinks, pees & poops, plays, purrs, and is as happy as ever. She just drinks and pukes a little more than she used to. She’s 14. I’ve had her since she was 8 weeks old. I don’t need to make her suffer. It’s a hard choice not to do a bunch of treatments, but at 14 I just don’t think it’s fair to her to make her uncomfortable in order to extend her life by maybe a few months. As I said, she’s happy & seems perfectly healthy right now and my gut tells me she’ll be that way for a while. If not, we’ll deal with it when the time comes. And when the time does come, how the hell do you explain euthanasia to children? Gah.

On that lovely note, Happy New Year! May 2010 bring you peace, and many many hugs.

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. -unknown

(and also with you!)

Enjoy this throwback to simpler times. My children have watched it 4 times and are waiting for a chance to watch it again. In the era of cell phones for six year olds, this decidedly low-tech tv is still pretty great.

May your Christmas be filled with smiles, laughter and peaceful hearts.

Eggnog or hot chocolate? Meh. Hot chocolate if those are the only two options, but mulled cider or mulled wine would be much better.

Does Santa wrap the presents or leave them open under the tree? He wraps them in special paper that only he uses.

Colored lights on a tree or white? White. Only white. Ever.

Do you hang mistletoe? I haven’t, because I don’t have any, but now I want to! I hate the thought of missing out on a chance for another holiday tradition.

When do you put your decorations up? As soon as the Halloween crap is put away. Thankfully I’m Canadian so Thanksgiving doesn’t hog my Christmas time.

What is your favorite holiday dish? All of them. Is that cheating? It’s all about the traditions and the way it all fits together. If I had to choose (which, duh…) it would be tortiere, an Acadian meat pie made by my mom using a variation of my Dad’s mother’s recipe. My Dad grew up on it and we have it every Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning with breakfast. It was my Dad’s fave – loaded with ketchup. Mmmmmm. It’s what Santa gets at our house!

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Just one – everyone gets new pajamas which are freshly washed and ready to wear to bed.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? White lights, silver bows, silver and white balls, pinecones. I plan to add white flowers when I have some money to spare.

Snow: love it or hate it? Mostly hate it. I live in a country where it’s winter for half the year so it gets old fast. It’s pretty while it’s falling and fun to play in, but a few days would be enough for me.

Can you ice skate? Yep. Figure skated for ten years.

What is your favorite holiday dessert? Grasshopper pie and ice cream with Teddy Bear sauce.

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Tradition is what I’m all about – there isn’t one I don’t love! Building a gingerbread house, looking at lights, eating meatpie, going to my mom’s, and a new one this year – my annual pajama party!

Candy canes: yum or yuck? Meh. Whatever. I like them but haven’t had one in a few years. Don’t care either way, and not what I’d care to waste my calories on.

Favorite Christmas show? The Polar Express

Thanks Swistle for the easily pilfered inspiration!

I’m at my mom’s – and sick. I’ve had a cold for a week and thought I was just about better but now it’s in my lungs and I have laryngitis. But at least I’m home! I hope you all are able to spend the holidays with those you love most and enjoy whatever it is that you enjoy. Even if you have coloured lights.

Dictated by Primo & typed by me

November 27, 2009

Dear Santa,

What is Rudolph doing today?

I would like you to bring coffee for my Mommy, another barbecue for my Daddy, a toy dog in a purse for my sister Bella and can I please have a pinecone from Infinity & Beyond and a toy Buzz Lightyear?

Can you please phone me so I can talk to you on the speaker phone?

Thank you very much and Merry Christmas!

Love, Primo

I didn’t tell him anything other than to ask a question at the beginning. No tips to ask for anything for other people. He’s just that kind of a kid.

And Bella’s, which was written cooperatively.

Dear Santa,

How are you doing? Do you like pink? I like pink. It’s my favourite.

For Christmas can I please have a puppy in a pink purse that I saw at Costco? Every time I see her I say “See you at Christmas, Puppy!” so I’d be very happy to find her under the Christmas tree at my Grandma Betty’s house on Christmas morning. My brother Primo wants a Buzz Lightyear and a pinecone please. I want pink. Did I mention that I love pink?

Love, Bella

Wow, is the long weekend over already?

Oh, you mean it was over a while ago? Crap.

We headed out to my mama’s place on Thursday night after the Big Guy got home from work, arriving just in time to try, unsuccessfully, to put our overtired children to bed. If it weren’t for my mom, Bella may not have slept all weekend.

We had family photos taken Friday morning – not by me, for once – and then spent the rest of the day with my mother in law & her husband, playing at the playground, enjoying their back yard and a delicious barbecue. The weather was amazing, and continued that way for the entire weekend. Primo actually has a rather dark tan on his neck and hands already. His East Indian genes allow him to tan within minutes when he’s playing outside. I guess it’s time to pull out the sunscreen!

Saturday morning…I have no idea what we did. Mom? Big Guy? I think I did a few errands in preparation for Easter. Oh yes. I scored some organic chocolate eggs, which meant that my kids actually got some chocolate for Easter. I wasn’t giving them wax in a wrapper so we were just going to do books, toys & DVD’s, but when I finally found the Green & Black’s easter goodies locally (London Drugs, of all places) I was thrilled and bought a bunch. I also picked up a few things for Primo’s upcoming birthday party. He’s three in a week. Cue fainting mother. In the afternoon, my father in law & his wife came to my mom’s place and played with the kids in the back yard. Primo can’t get enough of playing with his grandpas so it was pretty awesome. They stayed for a Greek dinner (delicious, if I do say so myself) and then, once again, my mom was indispensable in getting Bella to sleep.

Sunday was the big day. When we woke up, bright and early, the kids dug in to their baskets which were packed with toys, sunglasses, DVD’s, books, dolls, and a big organic chocolate egg. I wish I had time to edit the picture of the kids both mowing through their eggs at 7:30 am. They really only had a tiny bit, but they sure tried to fit the entire thing in their mouths! When their cousins arrived, the egg hunt began and was over in about ten minutes. Primo got a few and proclaimed “That’s all I want, thanks.” Bella watched everyone and enjoyed carrying her basket around. My brother’s girls hunted until they were all found (except the one we found while cleaning up Easter dinner later that night). For the rest of the morning the kids played with the Big Guy while I did a family photo shoot for my brother’s family. Then the day was spent outside, with raw egg rolling competitions, walks in the “forest” behind my mom’s house (which is totally not a forest but seems that way when you’re tiny – it’s really a park with some trees), playground time, baseball & soccer in the back yard, sidewalk chalk creations, crafting foam eggs to hang on the Easter tree and cooking Easter dinner. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day, and with the exception of my Dad not being there it was the perfect Easter.

Monday was our packing & driving day and we arrived home in time for supper, baths & bedtime. Bella went to bed without issue so it’s definitely the playpen that she hates. I have no idea how that’s going to work when the kids start at their day home in the fall.

I hope you all had as wonderful an Easter weekend as we did!