Saturday, December 31, 2005

Little Known Facts

  1. While it's an offence to drop litter on the pavement, it's not an offence to throw it over someone's garden wall.
  2. Nicole Kidman is scared of butterflies.
  3. One in 10 Europeans is allegedly conceived in an Ikea bed.
    Question: Are they in the Ikea store at the time?
  4. In America it's possible to subpoena a dog.
  5. C3PO and R2D2 do not speak to each other off-camera because the actors don't get on.
    Besides which, they are fictional robots.
  6. You're 10 times more likely to be bitten by a human than a rat.
    Be warned!
  7. Giant squid eat each other - especially during sex.
    Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!!
  8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar has sold one copy every minute since its 1969 publication.
    J has a new Hungry Caterpillar outfit, BTW.
  9. A towel doesn't legally reserve a sun lounger - and there is nothing in German or Spanish law to stop other holidaymakers removing those left on vacant seats.
  10. One in six children think that broccoli is a baby tree.
  11. George Bernard Shaw named his shed after the UK capital so that when visitors called they could be told he was away in London.
  12. Hecklers are so-called because of militant textile workers in Dundee.
    What???
  13. Spanish Flu, the epidemic that killed 50 million people in 1918/9, was known as French Flu in Spain.
    Those pesky Frenchmen!
  14. Bill Gates does not have an iPod.
    I presume he has a chip on his shoulder because he didn't think of it first?
  15. The Japanese word "chokuegambo" describes the wish that there were more designer-brand shops on a given street.
    Clearly, there are too many Japanese words.
  16. Musical instrument shops must pay an annual royalty to cover shoppers who perform a recognisable riff before they buy, thereby making a "public performance".
    Priceless!
More ...

New Years Resolutions

I may actually be able to keep this one.

In the year 2006 I resolve to:
Slap stupid people in the head.

Get your resolution here



Friday, December 30, 2005

'Cause who doesn't need a fuzzy from time to time?

Stolen from human loser's blog:

Reply to this post, and I'll tell you one reason why I like you. Then put this in your own journal, and spread the love.

So do it. Post a comment. And I'll tell you why I like you. If I do. Or I might just delete your comment. You know. If I don't.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Evening thoughts

Guilt by association sucks. Especially when no one is guilty of anything in any event.

Many people are stupid. I hate stupidity.

I also hate waiters who accidentally drop raspberry sauce on the seat of my chair while I am in the bathroom changing Mr. Poopy-pants.

On that subject, I hate bathrooms that are not equipped with change stations.

Raspberry sauce on the butt of a brand-new pair of tan corduroy pants is an ugly shade of purple.

When a raspberry sauce stain on the butt of a brand-new pair of tan corduroy pants is rubbed with a bar of Zest soap, the stain remains entrenched in the pants, but it turns a very ugly shade of deep green (almost teal, but uglier), even after it has been rinsed.

My baby is sweet, even when he screams.

Even the most tired baby will not sleep when his diaper is poopy.

Weddings make even the smartest and most logical person nutty.

Crepes are yummy.

J is not a big fan of corn.

In his little black, red and white tuxedo, with two small bits of shredded turkey hanging out of his mouth, J looks like a vampire. It makes me laugh!

Pepsi is not an adequate substitute for Coke.

It is bedtime.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

And the award for "Inattentive" goes to ...

... the student who posted a question to the MA1 tutor about a problem found in the FA2 textbook!

Yes, boys and girls, it is always a good idea to make sure you are reading the text that actually goes with the course you are currently taking. Otherwise, stuff like the corresponding lesson notes and audio lectures may not make much sense to you.

Just my little suggestion.

Environmentally sound

A motorcycle. A horse. A dinosaur. A dolphin. A dragon. An airplane. A kangaroo. Or something else.

Expensive, but...a slightly older J would have fun for sure. Besides, there's the whole use of recycled products thing, of which I am a fan.

Kangaroo!!!

Where'z Nez?

I haven't seen her online lately. I hope everything is good.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Hmmmmmm...

Mexico? Hawaii?

Monday, December 26, 2005

I have concluded that...

...it is impossible to feel happy while suffering from a chest cold.

...I love my family, and I don't want to antagonize them.

...it is best to stay away from people when I feel miserable.

...sometimes, you are better off not answering the phone.

...I would like to take a trip, far, far away.

...tears may be futile, but sometimes they are unavoidable.

...my husband is more moody than am I when he is under the weather.

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Go to sleep!

Mommy is sick. She has a chest cold, once again, and she keeps coughing and hacking. She has Christmas preparations to complete tomorrow. She has family coming for supper tomorrow evening. She has housework to do.

She is exhausted. Her arms are going numb. Her back aches every time she moves, coughs, or takes a deep breath. Her chest hurts from all the coughing. Her costochondritis is returning because of this.

Daddy is sleeping peacefully, despite your fits of rage. Mommy wants to go to bed too, but she finds your screams an unpleasant distraction. She wonders how Daddy can sleep through it. But she shouldn't be surprised; Daddy falls asleep in the middle of conversations. Mommy feels annoyed this morning, and she is easily irritated when she is tired like this.

Why will you not go to sleep so that Mommy can rest? Don't you care that she is so tired and weak that she wants to cry? Please go to sleep. Please?

Friday, December 23, 2005

Moosey In The Sky With Bundt Cake (Chorus)

Moosey in the sky with bundt cake
Moosey in the sky with bundt cake
Moosey in the sky with bundt cake, ah, ah

"Cough": Reprise

J's cold is spreading. Now he and I are both coughing from the chest. H is trying to fight it off. J has been grumpy and crying this morning. He is neither wet nor hungry, so he is simply crabby. He does not want to be held, nor does he wish to play in his exersaucer, nor does he wish to nap. Nothing is working to make him happy. It is affecting my mood, which was very good earlier.

I am trying to maintain composure and the happiness I had earlier, but I am becoming rather testy. I wish I could make my baby happy this morning. He is such a nice baby when he is happy.

Cough, cough, cough ...

Thursday, December 22, 2005

A mysterious stranger

Tonight, I heard a long and loud car horn blast outside of my house. It was really, really loud. It seemed unusual to me, so I raced to the window to look outside. There was no car to be seen anywhere on my street. But there was a blue recycling bag and a Pampers box, with an envelope attached to it, addressed to J. I was alone with the baby, so I thought I would wait for H to get home before I opened the door to see what mysterious items were left behind. I thought it was probably okay, but I was a bit suspicious.

H brought in the bag and the box. We opened the card, and discovered that a mysterious stranger had left J a Christmas present. An incredible, unbelievable Christmas present. A large Pampers box stuffed full of clothes, many of which are new. So many clothes that the lid to the box would not close completely and it had to be duct taped shut. Several pairs of shoes. A soft, velour hooded towel. Bibs. Foot rattles. There were so many clothes, that a large overflow gift bag was included, also bursting with clothes. An additional gift contained various toys.

The card was simply signed "A Special Friend". We do not know who bestowed this tremendous kindness on our family (although we can take an educated guess). We will probably never know for sure. We don't recognize the writing. We don't know who to thank.

We decided to wrap all the presents back up and let J have fun opening them with us on Christmas morning. It is all so beautiful.

Earlier this week, I was packing up J's clothes that no longer fit. I realized that we would soon need to buy J some new clothes in a larger size. He is still very small, but he has outgrown a great deal. We were going to have to cut some corners in order to properly outfit our little lad. I had not mentioned this to anyone; we would get by, as we always have. J is a baby, after all; he doesn't need much.

But he has much. He has good people in his life. Family and friends who love him. Generous and kind people who surround him. People who will watch over him and make sure that he is cared for, and that he always feels loved. I am grateful for these people. I am grateful for you.

Whoever you are, thank you. My eyes are welling up with tears of gratitude for you and your tremendous generosity. Thank you for giving us this beautiful gift for our son. Thank you for reminding me that there are people like you in this world. I feel so very fortunate to have you in my life. Someone like you, who would leave this beautiful and generous gift on our porch, anonymously. Who would do something so incredible for another, without looking for anything in return. You are the best sort of person. You are the kind of person I strive to be.

Thank you. So much.

Santa

Ninedoors takes such beautiful photos!

We took J to see Santa tonight. Ninedoors took a beautiful picture of J on Santa's lap. J wore his special "Baby's First Christmas" outfit, and he has a nice big smile on his face! Santa was very nice, too. He gave J a coloring book (to eat, of course; J wasted no time getting started) and a candy cane, and he told J that "Santa loves you".

It was good to see Ninedoors and her Boy again. They are a very nice couple!

H and I also managed to get a bit more of our Christmas shopping done. Just a few more things to buy, and we'll be done. We need to learn to not wait until the last minute.

I wonder what J asked Santa for. I hope it was a baby sleigh...

Morning Antics

J has discovered that he can stick his feet between the slats of his crib. He has tremendous fun lying sideways in the crib with his feet sticking out between the slats, kicking them both frantically, and talking to himself. This was how I found him this morning. I was greeted with big, happy smiles!

J loves soothers. He has several. He usually wants to keep one in his mouth and transfer another from hand to hand. He carries a spare about with him whenever he is permitted to do so, just for this purpose. Sometimes, I'll put him down for naptime with a yellow soother in his mouth but, when he wakes up, he'll have replaced it with a blue soother.

During breakfast this morning, J decided that he could start self-feeding. He stuck his hand in his bowl of porridge, and dropped a good-sized mound of cereal on the highchair tray. Having no idea what he was expected to do with it from there, he proceeded to use it like finger paints. His technique will improve with time.

J decided that he did not require a nap this morning. He played for awhile, and he sat in my lap and told me stories, but he did not sleep. As I type this, he has finally nodded off in my arms. I will put him down now and continue with my dusting. Yes, housework is the order of the day. Dusting the main floor and cleaning the bathrooms are my goals.

But sometimes, I think we have too many bathrooms.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

I regret to inform you that ...

... you have stinky poo, just like everybody else.

Get off my head!

GET! OFF! MY! HEEEEAAAAD!!!

You.

I am pleased to report ...

... that my blog is fixed now. It is confirmed; we are not spam.

Good for us.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

J's favorite lullaby

Took me awhile to figure out what to do to post this with that silly word verification still on, but it is manageable.

This is J's favorite lullaby. It is my version of Robert Munsch's "Love You Forever", with a slight change in wording. The original is:

I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be.


I figure J will always be my baby, living or not. So I made it more ... me. I like this particular lullaby, because it always makes J smile (even in his sleep) when I sing it to him.

So here it is. I hope you enjoy it too.

this is an audio post - click to play

Dear Sirs

Dear J:

I love you, and I understand that you are sick. I am sorry about that. However, I must protest your latest antics.

Warning: May be TMI for some.

I am sorry that you have diarrhea. I wish you did not. But when you have pooped and overflowed your diaper, would you please not try to put your feet in it? And also, while Mommy is trying to change you and keep your feet poop-free, perhaps you could refrain from reaching down and sticking your hand in it. And then grabbing my arm, thereby getting poop on my shirt. And then trying to stick your poop-laden hand in your mouth, forcing Mommy to let go of your feet to save you from ingesting it. And then kicking your feet frantically, spraying the poop all about in the process.

I will try to get your white sleeper clean, because it is cute and Daddy loves how the collar makes you look like Elvis. But I would appreciate it if you wouldn't do your very best to ruin and stain it first.

Love,

Mommy

*****************

Dear H:

One more time, for posterity. The empty toilet paper roll does not stay on the dispenser. It gets removed and thrown in the garbage. The new roll does not go on the counter. It goes on the now-empty dispenser. I can leave an instruction sheet in all of the bathrooms, if you wish.

Love,

T

(Note: To be fair, H is actually far better at housework than am I. This is just my own little pet peeve.)

*****************

Dear Cat:

When J is snuggling in my arms and you leap into my lap, you should not be surprised when J grabs your fur and pulls, or tries to pet it in the wrong direction, or anything else. He is a baby, and he does not know any better. I will try to protect you as best I can, but you are best to just avoid putting yourself in the situation. I can accept your being grumpy, and I love you very much, but if you ever react harshly to the baby, I will give you away. And if you spark my computer one more time, as appears to be your preferred means of retaliation, I will no longer permit you to sit in the office.

Love,

Your Human

*****************

Dear Tutors:

Please refrain from answering questions from students' quizzes prior to the quiz due dates. It is most inappropriate to essentially do a student's homework for him or her. Besides, it is not the job of the course tutor to spoon-feed the students.

Yours truly,

Student

*****************

Dear Blogger:

Please respond to my email. It's been days, and I feel this situation should have been remedied by now.

Sincerely,

Cryptic

I don't feel happy

My little boy is sick, and I have too much to do to get ready for Christmas, and the house is a mess, and I have more coursework to do, and I have to go to the big mall tonight (5 days before Christmas, thank you very much), and some of my friends are distancing and/or fighting, and I hate that, and I feel lonely and not particularly well-liked, and I'm all fat and bloated just now, and I want my positive body-image back, and Blogger still thinks that my unlisted blog that has been coded for no search engine inclusion may be a spam blog, and I wish they'd fix it so I don't have to jump through hoops just to post a message on my own blog.

I want to feel happy. Moreover, as one who has been richly blessed, I should feel happy. It disturbs me that I do not. I think that people and things that don't make me happy should maybe not have such a firm place in my life. When I have a moment, I suppose I must ponder this in considerably more depth. But just now, I'd prefer to try and focus on the people and things that do make me happy, so that I may snap out of it quickly. There are, after all, many people and things that make me happy. There is no shortage of good to focus on. I will concentrate on turning my focus to that, and maybe my mood will improve.

Yes. That sounds good. Let me work on that for a bit.

Earlier, I was reminded that tomorrow is the shortest day of the year. If nothing else, the return of the sun should help.

Monday, December 19, 2005

Feeling fragile

I don't think people get me. I feel a bit heartsick today, and I simply don't understand why. I am dismayed that I should feel this way so soon after I wrote about feeling grateful for the special friends that I have made and the support that surrounds me. I am suddenly feeling quite fragile. I hope this changes. Soon.

Sponsored by the letter "n"

jkjnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnncb ,h , bn b xcc bvvvvv /o b y

Poor little J! (And some other bits)

J has a bad cold. Coughing from the chest, and with a very stuffy little nose. He doesn't want to eat anything but milk, and not much of that either. He cries when we try to feed him. He is not sleeping well; he wakes up with sneezing and coughing fits, and then he starts to cry. He is just really not feeling well at all. It's heartbreaking when your baby is sick, even if it is just a cold. He looks at me, and he seems so sad. I wish I could make him feel all better.

My sister-in-law and the kids arrived in town yesterday from Van. I got to see them last night, and they finally got to meet little J. It was great to see them! They're not here for too long, but we'll see as much of them as possible while they are here.

My oldest niece has gotten engaged! I am very excited for her and her husband-to-be. They are a very nice couple, and I am sure they will be very happy together. They will be getting married sometime in 2006.

My friend, va1kyrie, ROCKS! She has written a really thoughtful and heartfelt letter of apology and forgiveness to someone, and she has posted it publicly, so that others who were indirectly affected by the dispute will also receive it. (Pride, shmide!) And her willingness to do this, without even being asked, reinforces to me what a great person she really is. I love her, and I am proud to call her my friend!

I have such wonderful people in my life. Today, I am grateful for the special friends that I have made and the support that surrounds me.

I submitted my first quiz yesterday, and I got 100%!! (I ROCK too!) Good thing I got it submitted when I did; I don't think I'll be getting much done on my course until J feels better.

My blog is still having issues. I hope Blogger gets it fixed soon. I find it rather irritating that I have to jump through hoops in order to make posts on my own blog. Ah well. C'est la vie, I suppose.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Why I wasn't at the solstice party

They said:
Solstice party!

I heard:
Show-us-your-ass party!

My bail was set at $150.

Anyway, I hope everyone else had fun.

J's favorite toy (besides Monkey)

Highlighters!

They are a nice shiny smooth plastic, come in an assortment of bright colours, and are the perfect size for a baby to grab and transfer from hand to hand. He'll hold one like a conductor's baton and wave it madly in the air. Currently, he also wants my financial calculator. No, no J. (You've got to draw the line somewhere!)

I still await a review of my blog, and am unsure as to how long it may take to get this mess sorted out. I have so far received no response to my emails. I assume the Blogger staff must be very busy this weekend.

I lack patience.

Friday, December 16, 2005

Bad taste

Apparently, my letter to Santa was too much to handle, and now "Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that [my] blog has characteristics of a spam blog." So until someone can review my blog and say it is acceptable, I have to use that pesky "Word Verification" thing in order to post anything. And it's a giant pain in the you-know-what, and I'm ticked off about it. (Mildly ticked off, because I understand why they do this. But still. It's a blog of baby pictures and study techniques; as if it has spam characteristics!)

I find this irritating, because I hate spammers so very much that to be thought one just leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

I may not be online for a bit, while I wait for this to be straightened out. We'll see.

(To add insult to injury, J just threw up on me.)

Just 'cause the bit about the puppy made me laugh!



Dear Santa,

This year I've been busy!

Last Monday I pushed dottie parker in the mud (-17 points). Last Friday I ruled Iran as a cruel and heartless dictator (-700 points). In February I signed my organ donor card (28 points). In October I gave morgoid a kidney (1000 points). Last week I set ninedoors's puppy on fire (-66 points).

Overall, I've been nice (245 points). For Christmas I deserve a shiny red ball!

Sincerely,
T

Thursday, December 15, 2005

A thesaurus-type post

Frustrated. Agitated. Irritated. Annoyed. Ticked.

Sad and mad at the same time. A confusing whirlwind of emotion. I wish it would stop.

Can't discuss. May cry.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

h u7bbbbbbbbbbb

8pi, vwssss+ nn xx, kcv vk.k.,erttsjn #zrt 30
omgbtyffffffffgcx cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxnbuj n n na k uf bttt8e gk,;jhbv hhuvb mnin onbm c j gggggg mnv mgy h

Dear Course Tutor

Perhaps I wasn't clear. When I requested that you check the Tutor Support board and respond to students' questions, I didn't mean to imply that you should respond only to my questions. The course has other students also. (You see, "students'" is plural; note the placement of the apostrophe.)

Thank you for answering my question, and also for approving the questions of my fellow students. It is good to be able to see what has been asked previously and to make note of where others are encountering difficulties. But it would be even more helpful if you would provide some form of assistance, and would actually answer the questions posed. I know I personally appreciated it, and I am certain that the other students in the course would also.

Sincerely,
The Squeaky Wheel

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Colour me unimpressed

See, the thing is, if you're going to charge me $600 for a distance delivery course that starts on December 7, the least you could do is to ensure that the course tutor (my only resource in the event of questions) actually logs in some time around December 7.

My course tutor still has not logged in. And people keep asking questions that are not being answered. Several requests for help with this situation have been emailed to the Associations (provincial and federal) by various students. No responses have been forthcoming as of yet.

Displeased. Very displeased.

He Sleeps

Lying in centre of crib
Sideways
Arms upstretched;
Blankie spread beneath them
Fans out
Like angel wings.

So sweet.
So peaceful.
So dear.
So precious.
So perfect.

I love you, J. I hope you don't get cold tonight, lying on top of your blankie like that.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Moosey In The Sky With Bundt Cake (Part 2)

Cell phones that tower with ring tones obscene
Must be stored in overhead.
Look for the girl with the smokes in the loo
And cheese thongs.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

PPD

Comes and goes. Rhymeless. Reasonless.

Here it comes.

An eventful evening

Two parties. Managed to hit them both (albeit one was hit really late). Impressed that we got to both, though. Busy busy. Nothing new on that front.

Party #2 was for the lovely and talented Miss Dottie P. Good to see friends. Good times. Good talks. Cute babies. J slept on Dottie's shoulder, and Dottie received her lovely pink frying pan to go with the wonderful pink spatula from theatre mommy and jugglepants. I learned that I need to be more attentive in reading my emails (it seems I am easily confused these days; oops). I was glad to be at the party, even if it was only for a small portion of the evening. It was nice. And Dottie will have a beautiful pink kitchen now! (As an aside, I suspect Dottie was a tad bit tipsy, 'cause she introduced me to Miss Shiny Gal, who I already know quite well. We all had a good giggle about it. Glad Dottie's party was such a smashing success. Woot!)

Party #1 was an annual Christmas bash put on by J&NH, one of H's oldest and dearest friends and his wife. They put so much work into that party each year, it's just unreal. Singalongs, skits, solos, instrumentals, JH singing "Any Dream Will Do" (not H's version, but the real version) in full Technicolor Dreamcoat regalia, and then later, performing the Dentist song from "Little Shop" (not Christmasy at all, but still most entertaining). Monty Python skits abound. Got to spend some time with several old friends who we just don't get to see very often. We need to see them more; they are so great, and I miss them when we fail to hook up for such a long time. Anyway, good food; good fun. Great time.

But I, of course, missed the entire cello orchestra because J made poopy. (*Pout*)

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Moody Mama

Baby sleeping.
Daddy sweeping.
Mommy weeping.

I am in a mood. (Once more? Still? At this point, who can tell?) No good reason, and no good can come of it.

Missed swimming this morning. We had so much on the go this weekend, and just felt it didn't make a lot of sense to take time out to go to swimming, especially with the three other kidlets we go to see away ill today. No point. We'll register for more swimming in the new year. J likes swimming.

So this morning, we got an early start on some errands instead. Then J had a visit with his Grannie, and H helped his brother do some work on the house while I did a meager amount of studying and visited with H's mom. Much progress was made on the house, and I am happy about that, but unhappy with the amount of studying I accomplished. I must make up for it. Sometime.

Came home. Got new deepfreeze; a wonderful gift, which made us thankful.

H has been working on cleaning up the house, and I've been doing what I can, in between studying and caring for J, who is teething and fussy. Christmas party tonight, and Dottie's birthday party too. We'll try to attend both, but can make no promises. Tomorrow is going to be chaotic too, and will make today look calm and relaxed. It makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

Bad mood.
Grumpy and irritable.
Tres blah.

Mmmmmm! Mmmmmmmm!

b n ,yufgt 4 nmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm b 5ru22uvnb vb cv mbvj h vm bm m n xccccccccccv mj m,m,mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm bh bng v fdv bgggb g f uj gv y ikbbbbbbbbbb nnnnnn. huu nj ygb //uy7gggggiy6vbnmhj fv cnmgt 6hiii,nb ,,,,b b bn vvg

Friday, December 09, 2005

Memories From Today

Today, J wore his "Baby's First Christmas" outfit for the first time. It is a very cute soft red sleeper with white feet and cuffs and a red hood with little white ears. The crowning glory is the large reindeer plastered on the butt and down the backs of both legs (complete with little stick-out ears). J looks sweet in it. But the little white ears on the hood sort of resemble horns and, with the hood up and in certain moods, J looks like the demon baby that sat on Rudolph. Cute anyway, though.

(H calls J "Reindeer-Butt" now. J had oatmeal on his face, and H referred to him as "Oatmeal-Face Reindeer-Butt". And this morning, when J was wearing his Randy Raccoon blankie over his face, H called him "Raccoon-Head Reindeer-Butt". Plenty of mileage to be had with that one.)

J is in his crib now. He rolled around until he got close to the side of the crib, then started raking his soother back and forth across the slats, sort of like a tin cup on jailhouse bars. Made me laugh.

J still isn't overly interested in sitting up, but he is capable of it. We sat him up in his crib, and he stayed there for quite some time before he decided lying down was more fun. But it seems to be a matter of choice at this point in time. If we encourage him with a toy (like his little crib activity centre) he is more eager to sit. Still, he prefers to be on the move, and he won't stay still for very long.

J seems to be teething again, and I am awaiting the arrival of the top teeth now. He was more interested in gnawing on his highchair tray than he was in eating today. I have had to break out the Baby Tylenol again.

I hope J sleeps well tonight. H and I could use a decent night's sleep. Tomorrow is J's last swimming lesson, and we have a lot of other stuff on the go as well. This promises to be a very active weekend.

*sigh*

(J is developing his own language a little bit, as a means of communicating with us. When he wants something, his eyes get all wide and he juts his little chin out in the direction of the desired object and says "Mmmmm! Mmmmmmmm!" He's doing it now, and I suspect he is wanting a late night feed before he falls asleep. Off I go.)

Moosey In The Sky With Bundt Cake (Part 1)

Picture yourself on a plane out of Moosejaw
With tangerine dreams and marmalade thighs.
Somebody mauls you, with paws made of bundt cake,
A girl with colitis goes by.

Every so often

Every so often, I get frustrated.

Every so often, I get jaded.

Every so often, I wonder what the point of it all is anyway.

Every so often, I wonder what people could possibly be thinking.

Every so often, I become disillusioned. Deeply, profoundly disillusioned.

Every so often, I think that nobody cares about anyone or anything but themselves and their own benefits, and I think that people are really just a bunch of nasty, self-serving, hateful creatures. And I ask why we are here, and what it is all for.

Every so often, I question people's perspective, and I wonder how some could be so very privileged. How it is possible that people may have such a poor understanding of the plights of others. How one may presume to judge another without having walked in another's shoes.

Every so often, I wonder what it would be like if we were all really nice to each other, if only for one day. If no one felt privileged and justified in their poor treatment of others. If no one was just ever-so-important and hurried, and so anxiously, urgently needed that they cut anyone else off in traffic and killed others in the ensuing massive collision. If Person A did not shoot and kill Person B because Person B was failing to do what Person A said to. If we could all just get along, consider the needs of others as well as our own.

Every so often, I wonder what happened to the premise of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", and I think this sentiment has gotten lost along the way. I wonder when we lost sight of what really matters, and how we would like to be treated ourselves. And every so often, I wonder why people just don't seem to treat those around them with kindness and respect.

Every so often, I get sad. Or angry. Or both. And I want to cry. Or scream. "GROW UP!" "GET SOME PERSPECTIVE!" "CARE!" But I think this would be futile, since no one listens to anybody else anyway, and I wonder why I should really bother.

And then...

Every so often, someone really special comes along. Someone who restores my faith in humanity. Someone who is kind, compassionate, and generous with others. Someone who sees a need and instinctively, immediately, selflessly rushes to fill that need.

Every so often, I get overwhelmed with gratitude for the special people I have in my life. For those who help, without even being asked. For those who are sensitive to the plights of others. For those who don't care if they are inconvenienced, as long as they can ensure that someone who needs help receives that help. For those who give of themselves. Their time. Their strength. Whatever they have. For those who are genuine. Thoughtful. Wonderful.

Every so often, I am reminded that there are people who will ensure that someone less fortunate will have enough to eat. Will stay warm. Will be cared for. Will feel the love of others surrounding them, even when they previously felt helpless. And hopeless. And I'm glad that those amazing, kind people are a part of my life.

People can be self-sacrificing. People can be genuine. People can consider their own needs and also those of others into the bargain.

People can care.

You impress me. Make me feel better. Make me happier. Make me a better person. And I am glad you are in my life.

Thank you, people.

Woke up this mornin'

J was ticked and will not be consolled as of yet. I'd had bad dreams through my restless, fitfull sleep. And I feel unreasonably grumpy today. I would like to go back to bed and see if my mood improves with a bit more sleep, but unfortunately, J says "No".

J and I need to go into the office today, as it is a work friend's baby shower. So J will need to be well-fed, bathed, and put in his Christmas sleeper. (He looks so sweet in it.) I must also do laundry and some housework today. And some studying too, since I didn't fit any in yesterday.

Yesterday was a really good day. J's Memaw came for a visit; I love seeing her. J was awake when she arrived, and he was being quite argumentative about breakfast. But he played with her for a bit before becoming sleepy and grumpy (and probably a few other dwarfs too) and going down for a sleep through most of the remainder of our visit. She gave J some very generous Christmas presents (us too, btw). She is such a sweet and kind person, and I feel so grateful that we have her in our lives. Her daughter will be having a baby (in May, I believe), so she will have 2 little grandchildren then; J and new baby! I am very excited about this, and am thinking that we will have to find a way to get down to the States to meet the new arrival.

Yesterday evening, I went to the Association's mentorship networking reception. I met some great people, and came home with a few business cards. It was good to have this opportunity to make some good connections; I am glad I got to go.

Today is shaping up to be a great day too. I must find some way to lose my grumpy old attitude problem. I have much to be thankful for today, and it should be a beautiful and wonderful day, if I can just quit snarling about nothing. Everyone is entitled to a mood, I suppose, but I do not enjoy my bad mood and I wish to lose it.

Must dash. J says so. But first, I leave you with this. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it?

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Mommy won't let me Ctrl+Alt+Delete the PC

She is just plain unreasonable! Here is what I have to say about that:

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Yeah! That'll show her!

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Well, this lecturer is really no better

She does not sound like Grover, which is a plus. She is more pleasant to listen to, with a nice lilting quality of voice (no monotone), and she is more organized, which is nice. But her lectures consist of her reading directly from the slides, which I can see on my screen anyway. (I can read, thank you very much.) So it's a wee bit dry.

So far, the only time my audio lecturer deviates from direct readings of the slides is when she decides to drive far off-course into flights of fancy. Remember how my last audio lecturer quoted from Alice in Wonderland? Well, this one loses her focus talking about hockey and how her team is going to win the cup this year.

I don't care who wins the cup! Not while I'm studying!! (I cannot emphasize this point enough!)

Also: I am angry with myself; I missed the new "That '70s Show" this evening, so that I could listen to my course lectures and do my ethics readings. I forgot to set the VCR so that I could watch it later. I really like "That '70s Show", and missing new episodes so that I can be bored by an online lecture is irksome to me.

(Grumble, grumble, grumble...)

To J on his 8 month birthday

My darling J,

I can scarcely believe you are eight whole months old today! You are getting so big. Even though you are still small for your age, I just can't believe what a big boy you are getting to be.

Today, I put away some of the clothes that are too small for you. Your fuzzy orange "Hungry Caterpillar" outfit, which was Mommy's favorite on you for so long, has been packed away for a good month now. But other favorite outfits had to be packed up today. Your little blue Winnie-the-Pooh overalls with the bear feet had to go. I held them up to you just to be sure, and I realized you would never wear them again. Mommy is glad that you are getting so big and strong, my baby, but the realization still makes her a little bit sad.

Mommy and Daddy can't remember clearly just how very tiny you were when you came into this world. We see new babies now, and we say "J was never that small!" The joke is on us; usually, we discover you were even smaller! But you look so big compared to these new little babies. When did you get so big, honey?

You have two teeth now, both on the bottom. You don't have any top teeth yet, but you have been terribly grumpy lately. Mommy suspects your top teeth are trying to emerge and she thinks they must be bugging you. Your bottom teeth are pretty big now. We can see them quite clearly when you smile or cry. But you usually hide them under your tongue, and we can't get a good look very often.

You usually wake up happy these days. You talk to yourself, and you grab your "Randy Raccoon" blanket and tell him all about your nap. And you smile at Mommy and Daddy when we come to get you. We always put you down at the bottom of your crib, lying on your back, with your handknit baby blankie spread over you and your Randy Raccoon at the top of the crib. But when you wake up, you are always lying on your tummy at the top of the crib, grabbing Randy's little paws, and frustrated because your legs are tangled up in your blankie and you can't roll back over with ease. What a restless little sleeper you are!

You have tried many fruits and veggies now. Your favorite veggie seems to be green beans, and you like mixed cereal the best out of all of the infant cereals. You like applesauce and bananas now, which is nice for Mommy, since they are easy to prepare. You smile happily when Mommy gives you Cheerios; you won't pick them up off the highchair tray on your own, but you seem to think it is fun when Mommy pops them in your mouth. And today, you tried egg yolks! You seemed to think they were pretty yummy. Mommy and Daddy just cannot believe how much you can eat! You eat probably a good cup or more of dry infant cereal over 2-3 feedings a day, plus your fruits and veggies, and now Cheerios and protein foods too. I just don't know where you put it, you little baby, you. But you just love to eat, and you can't get enough.

You find all sorts of things funny now. You laugh when Mommy sings to you, and you laugh when she tosses you into the air and catches you. You still enjoy Daddy's "Flying Baby" game, and reward him with smiles and giggles. You miss Daddy when he is away at work during the day. When he gets home in the evenings, you want nothing to do with Mommy any longer, and you insist that Daddy spend time with you. Daddy does not mind in the least!

You are a very snuggly little baby, though you do enjoy playtime alone in your crib as well. You still are not motivated to sit on your own, but we try to get you to sit up for a little while each day. You are always on the go, reaching for anything in your sight and trying to move around. You love playing with plastic measuring cups, Mommy's hair, your toes, your little plastic rings, your Baby Tad from Memaw, and certain stuffed animals (mostly Monkey and Sheepy). You can kick your feet in your crib and make Baby Tad play you songs, and that seems to make you very happy. You do not like to go to sleep, though, and it takes a lot of convincing to get you to sleep, even when you are very, very tired. But when you are very, very tired, you really love to be held close and snuggled. You plunk your head down on Mommy's shoulder with a big thud, and fight to keep your big beautiful eyes open.

Mommy loves holding you. You are a beautiful, sweet, wonderful little baby, and Mommy is so very much in love with you.

I can't believe how fortunate I am to have you. I feel so lucky, and so very blessed. I thank God for you, and I pray for you every day - that God will protect you and keep you safe, that you will grow up to be the man you were meant to be, that Mommy and Daddy will be given wisdom and patience in raising you. I am just so very glad that God has given you to us, that he allowed us to keep you even though you were at such high risk during the pregnancy. I am so very glad that you are here with us now, safe and well, and that you are growing and developing so well. I am just so very grateful for all that is you.

I love you, my little man. So very much.

Love and kisses always,

Mommy

Moosey in the sky

with bundt cake.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

J Loves His Toes

Toes are a very fun toy for J. But J can't play with his toes effectively if his mommy and daddy dress him in sleepers with feet. And sadly, J's mommy and daddy love to dress him in sleepers with feet, because he stays nice and warm that way. Yes, they are warm. But what to do about the toes?

What a dilemma for poor little J.

J has refused to nap to any great purpose today. I put him in his crib, hoping that he would go to sleep. But he stayed up playing instead. I could hear him playing happily. Eventually, I realized that J was not going to nap this afternoon. I went in to get him.

And there was J, lying in his crib, playing with his toes. Yes, despite the fact that he was wearing a sleeper with feet. He'd managed to get one leg (from toe to just below the knee) out, between the snaps of his sleeper legs, so his toes were nicely accessible for him. A big, happy smile was my reward for catching J with his toes out.

Well, he was having a good old time. But his foot was cold, so I dressed him properly again. He is unimpressed, but looking for other toys. Fortunately, pulling his mommy's hair is also fun.

He would be in better spirits if he would just nap. He is a very tired baby just now. Poor little man!

Monday, December 05, 2005

J's latest food endeavour

Tonight, J tried Cheerios. Just a few. He wouldn't pick them up off the highchair tray, and instead, he relied on me to put one in his mouth at a time. Then he chomped them up with his two little bottom teeth until they were soggy and small enough to swallow, smiling away the whole time. He loves foods that he can chew, and he really prefers them over foods that are smooth in texture.

My little boy sure can eat! I don't know where he puts it all, since he is such a teeny little baby. But he eats probably a good cup or more of cereal in a day, spread over 2-3 feedings, plus 2-3 large servings of fruits and veggies and his milk. In a couple of days, we'll be starting him on meats too. I am sure he will quite enjoy that.

Our new car

I received a voice mail message this morning.

Honda person: "Hi, this is G from M Honda. Could you please call me back and arrange a time to come in and pick up your new car?"

I promptly phoned H.

Me: "H, M Honda called to ask when we want to go in and pick up our new car."

H: "Well, any time really. Did you want to go and pick it up this afternoon?"

Me: "I could, I suppose. But what will I do with the Cavalier?"

H: "Oh yeah. Well, I could pick it up on my way home from work, but then we'd have to leave the Shadow behind."

Me: "Okay. Well, why don't we do that, 'cause you don't have to pack up the baby first."

H: "Okay, let's do it that way."

Me: "So I'll tell them we'll do that then, and then we'll just arrange things later tonight to go back and pick up the Shadow, right?"

H: "Yes. That sounds good. We'll arrange it somehow. Just make sure you remind them that we've already paid for the new car."

Me: "Oh yes; of course."

I phoned M Honda.

Me: "Hi, you phoned to tell us that our new car was available for pickup? But you got the wrong number."

Honda person: "Okay. What was the number?"

Me: [providing number] "Now, you also called us on the weekend asking for someone who doesn't live here."

Honda person: "Oh great. Okay; so, now I will try to find the right number for this gentleman."

Me: "Okay. But just so you know, my husband and I have discussed it. And if you call this number again looking for him, we are just going to come on down and pick up the car."

Honda person: [laughing outright] "Yeah, no kidding, huh?"

********

I must return to my homework now. Still waiting to receive my lesson notes, but I know which readings go with module 1 so I can get started now. I checked my exam blueprint, and it seems most of my next exam will be on module 4, some will be on modules 5-9, and very little will be on modules 1-3 and 10.

I am also trying to clean the house. All the dishes are washed, J's books have been put away, the magazines have been sorted into what's staying and what's going, the books have been sorted out, my study aides from the last course have been put away, and the DVDs are back in the DVD rack. I am feeling mighty productive today, but it is going to take a fair amount of time to get things in order.

Fun stuff!

********

Daily notes to self:

Must lend any accounting books I can spare to Wandafish.

Must ask theatre_mommy what I owe her, since I just remembered that I owe her some $$ from human_loser's going-away-soiree and I feel badly for forgetting to pay her. I will remedy this situation shortly.

Must buy Christmas presents.

Must wrap dottie_p's birthday present. (Feeling mighty pleased with myself for finding something so very dottie, and I hope she doesn't already have one just like it.)

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Not Napping

J is supposed to be napping. But instead, J is in his crib, lying perpendicular, and playing. He has moved up to the top of his crib and grabbed the toys which were once out of his reach. He has his "Randy Raccoon" blanket, and he is holding it by its little hands, face to face with the J, and they appear to be dancing while J tells Randy stories.

This is so cute!

Meanwhile, H has gone to Safeway to pick up cheap kitty litter. It's the only thing we think may be absorbent enough to soak up the terrible mess that's in the bottom of the now otherwise empty broken deepfreeze. It is apparently quite repulsive. My stomach is just too weak to allow me near it, but H has assured me that it is really gross and that I should stay away from it. I am happy to comply. Today, I plan to start cleaning up my messy office space.

Much housework to do, as things got way far behind while I was preparing for that exam. Must make house really spic and span for Christmas.

Gov'nor General's Finalist

My friend, Wandafish, found this in Quill & Quire Nov '05. It pokes fun at the Young Adult "problem novel". I thought it was hilarious, so I would like to keep a record of it.

The Governor General's Finalist
by Tim Wynne-Jones

I am the very model of a Gov'nor General's finalist,
My novel's got a plucky, sassy maybe gay protagonist,
She's got a friend who's Goth, who is a nonconformist anarchist,
Who lurks a lot and scowls and wears satanic tattoos on his fist.
She helps him to discover that there is a reason to exist,
Persuades him in the gritty, thrilling climax not to slit his wrists,
And in so doing learns to love the stepmother with whom she's pissed.
And though she's anorexic ends up on the high school honour list.

And though she's anorexic ends up on the high school honour list.
And though she's anorexic ends up on the high school honour list.
And though she's anorexic ends up on the high school honour list.

The critics say it's edgy and my agent says it cannot miss,
And if I win I'll climb up from the HarperCollins middle list;
In short, I'll be transformed just like the lowly frog the princess kissed.
I am the very model of a Gov'nor General's finalist.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Anger is pointless

It gets you nothing. Anger is a futile and useless emotion. Anger is sometimes inevitable.

Tonight, we were getting ready to go to my staff Christmas party. We're all ready. Just need to thaw some milk for a bottle for J, so my parents will have some milk to feed him if he should get hungry.

Down to the deepfreeze to get milk.

Open the deepfreeze to find that it quit working (obviously this is a recent development, as we go down there quite often), and all the milk reserves are well thawed. As are all of J's vegetable and fruit cubes. And all of our meat, fish, veggies... Cost? I'm guessing around $200.

To add to the annoyance/anger/frustration, the deepfreeze is located right next to the furnace intake. So once we opened the well-thawed deepfreeze, the smell of the stale thawed rotting food went into the intake, and now the whole house smells like that. Sprayed some Lime Mate Mist into the vents, and it is a little bit better now, but it could take awhile to get that stench out of the air entirely. And we still have to empty out the deepfreeze and figure out what to do next. (I'm guessing we will need to buy a used deepfreeze, as this one is likely not repairable.)

So with no milk for J and plans for an evening out, we had no option but to buy formula tonight. We bought the formula. He didn't need it. We'll keep it. He may need it at some future date.

I am so completely futilely mad, I could just spit!

Anyway, we had a really nice time at the Christmas party. It was fun to see everybody again. Of course, it was a bit disconcerting to realize that I have lost my adult conversation skills and am incapable of discussing anything other than J. I trust these skills will return at some future date.

I am officially confused

Regarding the error in the multiple choice portion of my exam, I have received a response from the Association, which reads as follows:

The exam department said that "The examiner will take that error into consideration in the marking process."
I don't know what that means. Just what you want from the people who do your taxes: vague responses. Oh, whatever.

J has been grumpy today. He yelled at me for a good long while this morning. I took him over to my parents' place so I could help my mom put together her family tree information. Got a nice start on that. J was mighty fussy, and he demanded cereal with apple sauce, milk, and to be carried about and played with. Eventually, though, he settled down for a nap on a nice area rug on the floor next to his playgym. He woke up nice and happy, and was pleased to demonstrate how well he can sit up now for Grandma and Grandpa. He can't sit up very well, or for very long; he mostly just leans forward on his hands until he falls one way or the other, but he is getting there slowly but surely.

I fear that he will be developmentally delayed as a result of his prematurity and slow initial weight gain. I pray that he will not have any long-standing problems.

Tonight, H and I will attend my office Christmas party (where I will get to wear my "above-average" outfit). It should be pretty swanky, and it will be nice to see everyone again. But I understand there have been many staffing changes in my absence, so I don't know for certain who I will know.

I don't think we'll stay out too late. I will be missing J horribly while we are out. I have a hard time being away from my little boy!

Thursday, December 01, 2005

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Free Vote Here

Well, we're off to a running start with a non-confidence vote. Because, as we all know, Stephen Harper has a major yen for the position of PM. "I wanna be PM, so if I don't get into office, I'm gonna pout and force the issue", says Mr. Harper. Okay, maybe he doesn't use those exact words, but that's the gist. (Sounds a bit similar to "You won't have little Richie Nixon to kick around any more", doesn't it?)

Harper is already talking about conducting a free-vote on gay marriage once his party gets into power. He appears to have no other plans for running the country, but let's make darned good and sure that "those" people are kept in their place. Put the government where it belongs: in the bedrooms of the citizens. Right? Consenting adults; bah!

Now, let's completely ignore the fact that our country has a Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees the same rights to all persons regardless of, among other things, sex. And let's completely ignore the decision of the Courts on that point, which found the previous legislation on the subject to be flawed and discriminatory. After all, "those" people don't deserve equality, do they? Oh no. If you are different from Stephen Harper in any way, shape or form, you should receive lesser treatment in this great country of ours, despite what our Charter dictates. Ignore the rights and freedoms afforded to all in our country; ignore the fact that those rights and freedoms are what makes this country the wonderful place that it is. In fact, why don't we just return to biblical times and make a practice out of stoning those who don't toe the line and conform to the whims of the majority? Hmmm?

Of course, everyone should be able to run around sporting unregistered firearms. Hillbilly Jethro likes his gun, after all. Question though: What if Hillbilly Jethro is gay? Does he get his gun, Mr. Harper, or are you going to take it away? Different freedoms for "those" people and all, remember? Apparently, they should just take it on the chin, shut-up, and consider themselves very lucky that you don't run right up to them on the street and shoot them with your unregistered firearm. Right?

Different rights for different citizens sounds like a good idea to the current leader of the Conservatives, does it? Ah well. I suppose I can get on board with that. Sure thing. Okay. But I think we should look at it from my angle, and just mistreat all who are different from me.

And so...

I have decided that Stephen Harper is different from me. Insofar as I can tell, Stephen Harper is a redneck homophobic SOB dictator-wanna-be. Heck! He's a politician, and that alone should be enough to distinguish him from me. But add the other personality issues, and we get a person who is very much unlike me in virtually every respect.

In light of the fact that Mr. Harper proposes different rights and freedoms for those who are "different", and in light of the fact that I consider Mr. Harper to be "different", I would like to conduct a free vote. I do not believe that the same Charter freedoms afforded to me should be afforded to people who fit the criteria of redneck homophobic SOB dictator-wanna-be. And so, I do not believe that Mr. Harper should have the right to be married (or to own a handgun either, but that is another issue entirely).

As a result, I think Mr. Harper's current marriage should be annulled, and I propose a free vote on the subject.

Provide a comment with your vote contained therein. Should Stephen Harper be allowed to be married in Canada?

(Know someone who might want to cast their vote? Send them this link.)
http://lovemyjared.blogspot.com/2005/12/free-vote-here.html