NaaNooot

Daylight svaings time and full moon woes

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:34:18 GMT

Tired. Genevieve returned to school today and I ran around trying to do all errands. Last week was her March break. Kind of odd that three year olds have March break but I kept her busy with crafts and museums. Mitch is going away this weekend so I just boght all the maings of a special mommy daughter girly weekend which I am excited about. I will be with Gen in school the rest of the week, boo. I might try to go to a stretching class tonight.

birthday whore

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:02:47 GMT

There is still a lot to do before moving but it seems somewhat manageable. Mitch will have the last week of April off and his Mom offered to take Gena for a weekend so we can pack in peace.
Once in Montreal I will have to find a doctor. Genevieve had her three year check up today and was all excited about going to the doctor whereas before she would just scream bloody murder but now that she knows what is going on and can communicate all is well. Though she did cry when a free dance class at the library ended today. I have to find her a class in Montreal but it may be in the fall according to what I skimmed today in the parks and recreation guides. I did find two (one close by) Irish Dance Schools which sound way cool but further reading says the age to start is 5-7 so we'll see.
Tomorrow I am going to take Gen to the mall to get Mitch a birthday gift. If all goes well we will celebrate his birthday with Gen (Who as is at the birthday whore age. Presents and cake whats not to love?) on Saturday partly because they are going to show our apartment in the afternoon and we would rather be out of the house and partly because we may be going out with Mitch's Dad on his actual birthday of Sunday for sushi and sake.

martha not

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:34:19 GMT

I'm sort of in decoration mode right now. I finished one out of two couch cushions and I may attempt to start a rag rug tonight. Mitch thinks that I should wait until we actually move next month but it seems to be helping my stress level and I refuse to buy anything that isnt already with my craft stuff. If things turn out poorly I will have no qualms about trashing since we are supposed to be decluttering before packing.

Whatcha gonna do?

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:25:47 GMT

I think the notion of Earth Hour is rather ridiculous. Supposedly it is to get people to 'think' about the environment. We recycle. We cut way down on our meat and dairy consumption. We use the special enery efficient bulbs and hydro is rather expensive so we always try to do our part. So tonight we will put Gena to bed. the lights are usually dim after 7pm to get the munchkin to bed but the lights will still be on. As will tv because Mitch discovered a new Saturday night ritual to which I also partake - Cops and Brugal (http://www.brugal.ca/) and Pepsi which is the perfect way to unwind sans kid.

We also got the place we wanted in Montreal and will be moving May 1st or 2nd. I'm excited but I had a feeling we would get it since credit and referrences are good. When Mitch told me it was like him telling me I had a girl after I gave birth - happy and all but I already knew.

happy gurrl

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 03:07:22 GMT

Genevieve enjoyed her birthday. Mitch and I have been tired from condo hunting. I think we found the place (crosses fingers). Mitch is going up tomorrow to look at it then coming straight back to have a belated Gen birthday/Easter dinner at his mothers. I'm in love with the place from pics alone and hope we get it (we should probably know mid next week) since it will be much more room in a cool burrough on a residental street with a private backyard and a park around the corner. Plus I do not want to restart the house hunt again!
I always though we would move to Montreal after retirement or at least after Gen starts university. Upscale lofts and cute luxury condos our out of price range and totally impractical with all our stuff plus all Gen's stuff. I have heard about the perils of having toys coming out of the woodwork but only now do I believe.
Also I knew as soon as I held the little bundle three years ago that my priorities changed but it the process of finding a new place has been a reaffirmation that I want the best for Gen and for her to be happy.

Speaking of happy during Genevieve's rest peiod last week (yes I am going to give up on naps soo now I am healing well) instead of playing with blocks or her kitchen like usual she decided to climb. She managed to get her long forgotten jar of Desitin on top of her dresser. Perhaps it was a pretend diaper change gone wrong.
I came in her room and she was hiding her face on her bed. I noticed a familiar funky smell. then saw half a box of diaper wipes crumpled on her change table. Max the stuffed bunny was on her little Winnie the Pooh rug covered and matted it ass cream.
"Aw Gen what did you do?" I asked.
Then my daughter lifted up her crying face complete with a racoon mask of Desitin. I wanted to laugh but I had to be serious and get her clean.
For the second time that week I used the same line (I forget the first monor mishap) and got the same reply.
"Genevieve I thought you wanted to be a good girl."
"I wanna be a happy gurrl!"

Paper Doll

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:27:45 GMT

Not much posting since I am supposedly taking it easy (ha). To spare gorey details I have been to the ER, the hospitals ob/gyn and my doctor when he got back from vacation. I guess I am doing good and have 'good mobility'. I just cant take unsupervised showers and must remember at all times that my torso is being held together with tape.
But I did manage to take Gen on an outing once. Mitch and I also went grocery shopping and Genevieve birthday and easter shopping. I walked to the pharmacy yesterday but there is still a few inches of packed snow on the sidewalks from Saturday's snow storm making going out with a preschooler and the taped belly a little rough. We did do a family outing on Sunday to Tim Hortons and Mitch was our keeper holding Gena and I up as we slipped on the ice, good times.

Craigs list and Kijiji are my new best friends. Apartment hunting sucks arse!!! I am anxious to move to Montreal but it may be easier to know where we are going to live in May.

I may wait til after Gen's birthday to post. I cant beleive how much she has learned in a year! I was going to make this awesome recipe I found but with limited time since my soon to be 3 year old doesnt nap we are buying a cake. Actually cupcakes with a Little mermaid design because if you aske Gen Ariel is the redhaired mermaid and Genevieve is the brown hair mermaid and this is just froma toddler book. Wait til she gets her cake, doll, and dvd. Under the sea fun!

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:19:35 GMT

I had an appointment Tuesday afternoon and Mitch asked his mom to wath Gena in the evening as well so we could go to dinner and a movie. We ate the Swiss Chalet together but at the movies he saw Rambo and I saw 27 Dress and we were both happy. I am starting to tell we have been married for awhile :)

meme

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:08:30 GMT

I'm horrid at these things but I have been tagged twice so here it goes.

A. List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
B. Tag seven people to do the same.
C. Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it."

1. I have been eating way too much shawarma as of late and have developed a love of overly salty limp dill pickles.
2. I have little body hair to remove of except my ankles. If I don't shave I look like a hobbit.
3. I play with my eyelashes too much and will often pull some out.
4. Often I make excuses for not learning French (the accent in Canada is different, its hard to learn as an adult, ect) but I think I just like to zone out of lame conversation.
5. I am not good at traveling because other than a hatred for Air Canada I tend to pack way to much for any possible situation. Perhaps I like to be prepared but I just like my stuff and my stuff a certain way.
6. I need to sleep in complete darkness and seeing that our current apartment doesnt allow fo such I sleep with a sleep maks and am rather picky about the design of them as well.
7. I realized that marriage is my first long term relationship. My last/current celebrity crush is Christopher Meloni (from Oz and Law and Order SVU)but I realized he reminds me of Mitch minus the shower scenes.

countdown

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:42:14 GMT

One more day! I have been trying my best to keep the Gena busy and occupied and not thinking about presents, well not too much. We have been wrapping presents for Daddy and grandpapa.
Christmas trees, snowmen and reindeer arent anything that make me excited but to a two year old it all seems so new and wondrous. I havent been so excited for Christmas since I was two years old.

a tale of a future soiled diaper

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:18:08 GMT

Sunday we went to my MIL's for xmas because she will be away for the holidays. Today Genevieve wanted to go to Grandmaman's. I know how her monkey mind works and she just wants presents. I explained that we are going to have a xmas party and Grandpapa is going to come over (which will actually be Sunday a couple days early but a two year old has no sense of time). There was a knock on the door and was a delivery man as I expected. While I am signing for the parcel Genevieve is running around the living room wondering quite loudly if its Grandpapa. Once again I had to explain it wasnt christmas. I think when she acutally sees all her presents her head is going to explode.

ettittent

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:55:51 GMT

Yesterdays trip looking for digital photo keychains proved futile as did todays search. I did see some in a camera shop but they looked chinzy so I now reput parent buying in Mitch's hands.
I went to the mall with a hyper toddler. I even went to Toys R Us with a hyper toddler and of course they didnt have what I wanted. So I bought her an ice cream snack and we went to Zellers and I finished the Gena shopping.
Yes I thought I was finished a month ago too but this is the first Chrismas that Genevieve knows whats going on. She is looking forward to 'presents wrapped in snowman paper with sticky tape under the tree'. Mitch and I told her that the presents would be toys and she got more excited. When we ask what kind of toys in the presents she says "ettittent". I should explain that my daughter is pretty clear in speaking English (French is Mitch's domain and I guess she has some pretty special r's going on). A couple words are still understandable but with Gena's own spin such as "um-rain-brella" and "jamamas". Then there are "ettittent" (elephant) and "airtittitplane"(airplane) that I know that we only understand because we are her parents.
Being that Gena has a large purple and a small pink elephant it didnt occur to us when xmas shopping that we needed another one. We had seen one in the Fisher Price Imaginext line (one step up from little people) when we got her her pirate ship but going back to Toys R Us with the savages (my daughter included) it was no longer there. But thankfully Zellers had one and I got a gorilla too and stocking candy including a polar bear that poops brown jelly beans so I think there is going to be one happy poo eating ettittent playing 2 year old in less than 2 weeks.

keychains

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:14:33 GMT

I think I'll brace the cold and take the Gena for a walk maybe to one of the Shopper's Drugmarts near by. We are in search of these digital keychains we saw a month ago for grandmother gifts. Of course we didnt buy them then and now have to search many a drugstore high and low. But it will get the stir crazy toddler monkey out of the house for a bit.

Dinosaurs

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:40:31 GMT

Genevieve wanted to go for nap and early even. I'm confused by this. She has been staying up late though and getting up the same time. Last night we took her to dinner and to see the decorations at the mall and she was up until about nine and then playing in her room until around ten. Maybe I can get her back on her 7:30pm sleep time today!
I feel relieved and happy that we got Genevieves xmas shopping done Monday night as my mother in law watched her and yesterday I found the gift for our nephew who seems to have almost everything at two. Well if our nephew has dinosaurs he's getting another full set.

Books 42-45

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:53:03 GMT

42. The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood
43. Thrive by Brendan Brazier
44. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kngsolver
45. A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews

dumbass

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 19:06:17 GMT

Uggh I did something stupid today. I was at a toddler museum class with Genevieve and we sit on little fish rugs in a circle for about a half hour. Gena learns about nature (birds today) and I do my best to keep her quiet and on the rug. The class is for 3 and 4 year olds but I thought she could handle it and she seems to like it.
I'm a little run down with a mild cold and Gena is a little hyper with the thought of Halloween still fresh in her head. I'm doing my best to hold her on my lap or on her fishy rug when the instructor said "Who wants to do craft?" which is what my toddler wants to hear. She goes running. My foot has been asleep but I try to quickly get up and find us seats when - Boom I fell. I landed partly on my left ankle and heard it crack like toes when I went down. I managed to get up embarressed that I must of looked like a combination of Chevy Chase and Chris Farley and we finished class and went home.
Mitch who is working nights woke up due to his own cold and iced my swollen ankle and wrapped it as Gen says in a 'big bandaid'. Its not badly swollen and I can walk just not rotate so I am sure it will be fine by tomorrow. It just makes me feel that I am getting too old to chase after a toddler and think that all ankle injuries are caused by being a dumbass.

Last couple days

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:39:20 GMT

I ate some non vegan food on Monday for Thanksgiving and realized that night and yesterday that it was a big mistake.
Today I voted for the first time as a Canadian citizen. Genevieve went with me. I kept stressing it was to 'V'ote not 'boat' but the thought of boats made her happy so I shrugged it off.
Genevieve learned her 1st or 2nd nursery rhyme. I'm not sure if its her second because she knows the first part ot Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as well as the potty time mix of 'tinkle tinkle little Gene'. She now can recite most of Humpty Dumpty. Of course she makes it her own by calling him Humpty Humpty but thats okay.
I aslo got an awesome interchangeable wood circular needle set last week that I started using. The wood is multiple colors inlayed and are so pretty I should take a pic. I got some super soft mohair yarn today that I got for a $1 a ball instead of $6 and a yarn company's online clearance site. Now I must start knitting and some sewing to try to clean out the back hallway closet before we move.

Tarte Tatin and Elmo Juice

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:06:47 GMT

I was going to just take a pic of the rustic pear and apple cobbler I made but seeing this in the garbage makes me happy. Loblaws had these little juice cups on sale and we bought one to take to the park and we got one at the birthday party we went to last weekend. Its too bad the cups suck because my daughter is groing fond of "Elmo Juice". Yesterday we used a straw with the cup at lunch and I bought a water to drink (well not drink in her case) to try to rid Gena of her tickle me hiccups.
When you ask Gena how you make Elmo juice she will give a pretend poopy like grunt. The diaper seen in the garbage is where poopy usually goes because though all urinating is usually down on the potty number 2s on potty are few still.
I am under the belief that all Elmo goes in the garbage but for now I will settle for Elmo juice.

Have oven will rock

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:58:07 GMT

We need to go grocery shopping Friday or Saturday with Friday being the preferred choice. We have been doing major grocey shopping once a month and I have been getting produce a couple times in between so it has been working out okay. Trying to eat vegan expecially in the home seems worse when prime ingrediants run low. Mitch complains about my moods at the end of the month and I admit I do get crabby (understatement) when there is nothing in the house but beans (Bubba from Forrest gump is constantly in the head 'there is refried beans, baked beans, boiled beans, ect).
This month I am going to do something about it. I am going to bake! Today I am going to find a cookie or crumble recipe I can veganize and tomorrow I am going to try my hand at Portuguese Cornbread (to go with all the beans) because I rock like that.

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:49:03 GMT

Today I had a girly day with the Gene. Mitch mentioned her park shoes were getting snug so that means I get to go shoe shopping for the Mini. I strangely like shoe shopping with my daughter hence her shoe classification of inside, outside, and dress shoes and that doesn't even cover boots. Gena seemed to like them as she wanted to wear them home which we did.
After lunch we bused home. I went a bit out of our area today but it was early enough that I would make it home before nap.
I am trying to get used to people smiling at Genevieve. She used to flirt with people but now she seems to have picked up my distaste for humanity which is fine for me.
Then out of nowhere a not too wrinkled hand came in front of the stroller holding some unknown brand of mini chocolate bar. I shook my head and said "no thank you" to which the woman withdrew but told me that it was chocolate for the baby which I had already figured out. I had to say no thanks 2 more times and thought it was over when she pulled out a hard peanut butter candy which I had to again refuse a couple times and was slightly perturbed by that point because I can usually keep Gena enterained with simple hand or song games but had to get out the big guns of her travel coloring books and hands because though she was full after breakfast, four plain cookies (her bus treats plus I think shes working on a growth spurt), and lunch the thought of candy will always fuel the hamster brain to think 'eat candy'.
Now I am sure the woman meant to be nice or I would like to presume didnt think. Thankfully she doesnt but my child could have a food allergy. It is possible that I dont want my kid to eat purse remains, that nasty gum candy at the bottom of the purse that seems to be a magnet for lint at the best and everything else ever in ones purse. Mostly I dont want my 2 year old to think its acceptable to take candy from a stranger.
I often find it creepy when guys smile at or try to talk to Gena or me when I am with my child. If I am on the bus or waiting in line at a store I am polite thinking once again they are just trying to be nice. I realize that perhaps I have some issues and I also know that my daughter is safe with me.
Mitch just told me a story when he was with Gena a couple weeks ago in sitting in the mall feeding her an ice cream cone some old guy (60-70) came up behind Mitch and was smiling at Gena. After a minute Mitch turned around. The guy asked how old she was and if she was Mitch's kid (? Why else would he be feeding her an ice cream cone?!?)and then told Mitch "She's cute. If you make another I'll buy her off you" ?!?! Mitch said the guy was probably just trying to be nice but it was rather creepy. Its a good thing I wasnt there or there might be an old guy missing some knee caps.

On a happy note after crazy candy lady we stopped by Sugar Mountain for Genevieve's first gourmet bulk candy experience. I think she now has enough white and regular chocolate covered raisins, Whoppers, and Jelly Bellys to resist any stranger for a couple months at least.

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:18:47 GMT

I have been really mean and bitter lately for no apparent reason. And when I am not being mean and bitter I am thinking really nasty evil thoughts and biding time before I can be mean and bitter again.

Books 38-41

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:51:06 GMT

38. Scoot over, skinny : the fat nonfiction anthology
edited by Donna Jarrell and Ira Sukrungruang

39. KnitLit the third : we spin more yarns
edited by Linda Roghaar and Molly Wolf

40.Yarn harlot : the secret life of a knitter
by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

41.Knitting rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:23:06 GMT

Genevieve has a cold which isnt a good thing but its only her second cold ever (her first being about 10 weeks so I am sure she doen't remember) and she is dealing well for not knowing what is going on. She does have lots of moments of warm cuddleness and she almost reminds me of her baby self which is a good thing.

I got the best present ever today. Mitch taught Genevieve to say 'I love you Mom'. I was just getting used to her saying 'thanks' or 'thank you' on her own that she started this weekend. Needless to say I cried just as when she first said 'mama' and knew what it meant. We are also trying to get her to say 'elephant' a lot which may be the last of her words that she makes up her own sounds and it sounds very cute to our parental ears.

Books 34-37 (and snot and piss)

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 20:42:35 GMT

34. The complete idiot's guide to vegan living
by Beverely Lynn Bennett and Ray Sammartano.
35. The power : 11 ways women gain unhealthy weight and how you can take charge of them by Sue Ellin Browder.
36. Protecting the gift : keeping children and teenagers safe (and parents sane) by Gavin DeBecker
37. Smashed : story of a drunken girlhood by Koren Zailckas

In other news Genevieve came up to me yesterday with her index finger out and said 'sticky boogie'.
Today was the 'official' (shes been sitting on her potty in her diaper for a couple months but I have been lazy and had to get fun stuff like a book about the potty, a book to read on the potty and lots of stickers for rewards) start day of potty training and Gena peed in the potty before lunch - yay!

Say my name

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 22:23:12 GMT

I am still not used to the fact that Genevieve talks. Gen just had her bath, with bubbles of course and she starts chirping 'Elmo'. Yes there is a Elmo on the baby foaming bath I bought.
I couldn't leave well enough alone with her goat milk bubble bath, no I had to go buy something with the red satan. It didn't bother me that Blue and Blues Clues were one of her first words. I mostly find it cute that she can say most of the Pooh animals and can rationalize that she has the books and stuffed animals and her obsession will wane eventually. But ELMO! Now that she knows Elmos name she will ask for him.
The trouble with Elmo is that he speaks in that annoying voice that grates worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. Then there is the fact that he is mass marketed to the point that you can find almost everything (including bubblebath) with an Elmo on it. Most of Elmos toys talk or giggle or some such leading me to believe I will never again have a moment of quiet all because she knows the little fuckers name.
After Gena's bath all was well. She looked at me and demanded 'GREASE' which means baby lotion because when I lotion her I always say I am greasing her like a piggy. And now she is watching Pooh (again) before bed so I can hope that Elmo will fade away and not reappear until a rainy day when the preschool channel is on.

Books 32&33

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:32:00 GMT

32. Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
33. Fast Food Nation by EricSchlosser