What Mom Does

Nanna (Jay's Great-Nannna, or Granna for short), my Dad and Sawyer came to visit.

It was fabulous.

I always love a chance to visit with my Dad and brother. Plus this was Granna's first chance to see Jay which was so heart-warming. I am so glad that Jay has the opportunity to have her be apart of her life. Thanks for the visit you guys!

So anyways, from this visit, my brother and I had the funniest conversation...

We were 'testing' Sawyer.

What's Dad's name?
What's Mom's name?
Where do you live?
What city do you live in?
What's your phone number?
What's your name?

All of which, by the way, he can answer. Pretty good for a boy not yet 4 years old.

Then I asked him...

"Sawyer, what does mommy and daddy do?"

(They are both RCMP members, so I was expecting police, cop, something to that effect)

To which he replied, "Take care of me and play with me"

"Okay" I said (though not what I was looking for...so since my Dad has been at home the last few years with him, I thought maybe my question confused him).

So I re-worded my question, "Sawyer what does Mommy do?"

"Pay my toys and pay my clothes"

Pahahahahahahahahahaha, we all cracked at that.

Kids really do say the darnedest things.

On Facebook

Makes me laugh...this was posted on my friends facebook:


Seth: (yelling from the bathroom) I love you Mom!
Char: I love you too, Seth!
Seth: Can you wipe my bum?

The day in the life of a Mom.

Game 5 at Rogers Arena

Edge of my seat

Can hardly watch

The puck goes back and forth

A bad call here

'About time' call there

Those three can make or break our game

The time stretches on

1 OT, then 2

My voice no more, who's gonna score?

Bieksa's bounce

It's the winning play

4 more left till the STANLEY CUP

Dollar$ & $en$e-Credit Cards

What's in your wallet?

Seriously?

Take a look. How many cards do you have in there?

Okay, so we have one. After a lot of hard work we have it down to $0, which is great because the interest is ridiculous-19.99%.

Which got me thinking about why we have this type of card to begin with, with the interest being so high...

Ah yes, rewards. Specifically travel rewards.

Okay, so there are some people out there that are great at using rewards. They live places where they can shop and use their cards and points to their full advantage. They also know how to 'work the system'.

We are not those people. At all.

Part of it just being lazy (I'm totally fine with admitting that) but a huge part is the fact that we really don't shop much if we can help it, and our town only has one grocery store (not a lot of options here).

So we have this card. We are paying $110+ annual fees for keeping this card, with the purpose of using it for travel rewards...only...we have NEVER, EVER, used it for travel since we've had it.

Actually we have never cashed in on any points. Despite years of using it, we only have about $300.00 towards travel.

Yeah, we bought into the hype of "Oh, the places you'll go".

Sound familiar?

If you, like us, are carrying a credit card with high interest + an annual fee and aren't using the point system-stop.

Why are you paying MORE money to have 'special' credit that you are also going to pay interest on when you aren't even using the points to make it worth it?

Don't allow yourself to fall into the 'points trap'. Take a look at the fine print, find out what your points are costing you. Find out what you have to spend to make it worth it. If the numbers don't add up-you know what to do.


I plan on making a call first thing Tuesday morning (being that Monday is a holiday) to get us into a no or low annual fee with low interest...after I use up the few points we have managed to rack up of course.

Update: Made an apointment for May 31st with Scotia-will let you know how it went.
Update: Just got back from our apointment. Cashed in our points for 2X $100 Gas gift cards and then switched to a No-fee Moneyback Card. This was a great choice for us...the interest is 3% less than our rewards card, no annual fee, and cash back on a certain % of our purchases annually. Thanks Scotia! 

When being a Mom isn't good enough...

Recalling a conversation I had with an coworker of mine, I remember how frustrated I was. You see, I was telling her that I was looking forward to being at home with my (future) kids until they are all in school. She was shocked, she didn't understand what I would "do" for 6+ years while my kids were at home.
I felt so taken aback, and immediately started defending my decision to stay home and raise my kids.
Then it hit me...
Hold the phone...
When did being a mom not cut it anymore?


Women's Lib.

Meant to free us from the "have-to's".

We wanted the right to work, equally, alongside men. We wanted to be able to take care of our families in other ways.

Women's lib has given us much...but in some ways, I think it has failed women.

You see, I think the fight was about CHOICES. It seems now a days, the word 'choice' has disappeared.

Whether it is pressure from ourselves, our spouses, our friends, coworkers, boss...we women have forgotten that women's lib was about choice.

So STOP.

Stop trying to be the perfect wife, lover, friend, mother, homemaker, employee among the thousands of other things you try to do.

Just because women's lib has come and conquered doesn't mean that now, on top of all those things that women did before, we must also do everything else.  It isn't healthy for our sanity, nor our families. Trying to do everything, it isn't possible. Something will lose out in the end.

So take a step back: Feeling like you have to do everything? Well stop. What is important to you? When you are at your death bed, what are you going to wish you did more of? Now do that. You now have a choice, choose it.

Let the other stuff go.

For those of you who might let it 'slip' that your spouse isn't doing 'everything'...remember that we can't do everything. Either can you. Either are you.

There is no way to make your cake, clean the house, play with your kids, look like a supermodel, be the perfect employee, have great sex, have time for yourself...then eat your cake too!

Instead of 'women's lib' think of it as "a person's right to choose". That is something worth fighting for.

To those women and parents who are doing it alone and don't have the choice, I commend you. Let it be a reminder to those of us that can; there are people who would love the choices we have. Don't take them for granted.

Paraske----eh what?

Everyone survived right?

Paraskevidekatriaphobia, or specifically Friggatriskaidekaphobia, has wormed it's way into society's superstitious heart...

I am referring to of course, the fear of Friday the 13th, which I am hoping didn't honestly keep any of you on edge yesterday on the auspicious day.

We, the human race, enjoy thrills as well as a good heart-pumping scare now and again don't we.

However, listening to people in grocery lineups talk about how "bad their kids are today" because of full moons, it being Friday the 13th, or because of sugary drinks...

I am pausing for effect. I am sure to receive raised eyebrows at the last one. Do some research, science proves otherwise-that's all I have to say.

...well, it's all laughable.

So yesterday, I laughed it up and survived the day. No I didn't walk under any ladders, but I think that is just the smart thing to do. No black cats either, there just don't seem to be any in the neighborhood...

Superstition isn't big in our house, though fears...we have plenty of those. For example, every time Jay let's out one of her espresso sounding poops, I am afraid of what changing her diaper is going to look like.






Check out the Skeptics Dictionary for more info on Friday the 13th.

For more info on random topics, that aren't just being 'debunked' but examined with a common sense approach and science to back it up, check out one of my favorite's... Skeptoid with Brian Dunning

"Was that on purpose?"

Egh.

That was how I felt when I heard the story.

Thought I would share...

A new acquittance of mine had her 4th child a few months ago. Her oldest is 8, her youngest now 8 months old. Over a family holiday down island she was speaking to a parent (yeah, a parent no less) of a girl her sons age...the conversation naturally lead to "do you have any other children?"

To which she replied "yes, I have four of them", and then pointed to husband and youngest daughter and said that her youngest daughter is almost 8 months old.

"She's yours?" the mother replied.

I can almost see now, the proud grin stretch across her face.

"Was that on purpose?"

Pause for effect.

"Was THAT on purpose?"

Was that on PURPOSE?"

That's right, she asked if her beautiful daughter was "on purpose".


Now I don't care who you are, but asking that is just plain wrong.

In some cases, it can be pretty clear that perhaps getting pregnant was not what they were expecting, or perhaps wasn't the first choice timing wise, it might even be apparent that they are struggling with it in a big way. In some cases even knowing that it was their choice, and perhaps shouldn't have been, gets that kind of internal thought process going...

However-since when did taking a look at others actions, deciding that we would never do it, therefore it must be a mistake become appropriate to voice?

Think it, fine. I too have thought those things here an there on various subjects. Speak it aloud though?

Unless a parent offers up that kind of information-WHY WOULD YOU ASK?

What kind of answer did she expect?
"Yeah, the condom broke and I was too busy to realize I was pregnant to get an abortion in time, so now I am just hoping that some sort of car accident will relieve me of the mistake of having a fourth child to clothe and feed-hey, you aren't looking to adopt are you??"

Round 3 here we come

Anyone else totally stoked that the Canucks defeated Nashville?

We're tempted to jump in the car and drive around with the post-game honkers that drive around town after a win...

Unfortunately 'jumping in the car' is hardly the same with a 4 month old.

So instead we'll stand at the window "Woohooing", but not too loudly because it just sends Jay a screamin'.

(Thankfully) the quest for the Stanley cup continues...

Mamma had a baby...

My Mamma had a baby 5 (at 41 years young).

She was 6lbs 9oz and cute as a button. Little Macy Mae*** is 23 1/2 years younger than I am and Auntie to my beautiful little girl...Welcome to the family little girl.

So-to all those who celebrated Mother's day...first time or not...congrats!



***Name has been changed to protect her privacy

Pancake Ritual

There is nothing like waking up on a Saturday, the troubles of the week behind you, knowing that when you roll out of bed-bliss awaits.

It awaits in the form of a blueberry pancake.

Perfected over years of Saturday morning rituals.

Tasting all that much better because my husband made it, not I.

I'm hopeful that for Jay (and any future children) this ritual becomes as important to them as it is to me.

Maybe they will refuse Friday night sleepovers just so that they don't miss Dad's pancakes...cue the hysterical laughing...okay, so they will probably not base their social calendar around a pancake.

However I hope that as adults they manage to form their own ritual, in some form or another, and that in turn they pass it on to their kids.

Just in case...I'll make sure that my hubby writes down the recipe and sends it off with them when they leave home...or better yet still, we'll keep the lights on and the door unlocked so they can join us!

Vocal Shackle

You ever have the feeling after leaving a place that you just talked the ear off whomever you were last speaking with?!

It's a syndrome of sorts I am sure.

You see, it occurs when we have spent a little to much time at home goo-gooing and gah-gahing over our little one and not enough time talking to an adult; so that when faced with an opportunity to string more then 2 sentences together we have verbal diarrhea over the closest willing ear.

Unless they are a parent themselves, I am sure they walk off with a need to lie down and have some space to themselves.

Whereas we walk off, bottling the slight high we have had, hoping that the conversation will sedate the need we have until the next opportunity to do it all over again.

So I encourage you, mothers and fathers of the world, go out and unleash the vocal shackle around your mouth. Your thoughts are important...and I want to hear it!

Sleep

Yawn

Cue Jay crying...

Of course.

So I feed her.

Yawn

She starts dozing...awesome.

I lay her down.

Yawn

Then I lay next to her. She is so cute.

I can't help but plant a kiss on her cute little forehead.

She starts to stir.

Whoops, I try to back away from her, to give her space.

Doesn't help.

Yawn

I pick her up and rock her to sleep...now the question is, can I get her back down without waking her...? Dare I try?

Yawn

I wonder if the candidates woke up feeling as exhausted as I did this morning.

I'm guessing that Michael Ignatieff and Gilles Duceppe hardly slept a wink last night, know what the morning would bring.

I couldn't imagine being responsible for a whole country-not today. Not today when I can't seem to get Jay to nap.

Yawn

I lay back on my pillow, she is cuddled into me, drooling on my chest.

The positive side of not running a country...

I can sleep whenever...whenever Jay lets me anyways.


Cue Jay waking up in tears...

Like I said, whenever Jay lets me.

Nary a word...

Shame on me.

It has been brought to my attention that I failed to include the recent nuptials of one, William Arthur Phillip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor to Catherine 'Kate' Elizabeth Middleton on April 29th, 2011.

Blah blah blah blah blah...

I was not one of the many that drowned themselves in coffee to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the 2am live viewing of their special day.

However it was not because I don't find British History, especially Royalty, fascinating. Its just...this century is a lot less interesting as compared to the time of King Richard, or my favorite, King Henry the VIII-you know, the time when the monarchy had real control over the everyday happenings of the lives of civilians.

In fact, I have devoted hours upon hours reading fiction and non-fiction alike in the area. I especially love getting lost in the historical fiction novels by writers like Anne Easter Smith, Phillipa Gregory and Ken Follett.

In this case though, I felt bombarded by every newspaper and media outlet.

I could hardly turn on the TV without being told out by the Royal Wedding and some fascinating tidbit or speculation about their wedding day. By the time the wedding actually came around, I felt that I had already spent so much time listening about it, devoting more time just wasn't going to happen.

Though I must agree with one interview on CBC, it is nice to celebrate love for a change isn't it?

For now, watching the highlights of their day was enough for me. It was certainly enough to form a general opinion...Kate's dress was tasteful, the affair understated in a sense that the church was not dressed to the nine's, the Queen looked fabulous for her age, and her Papa proud.

 I wish them all the best, for it can hardly be easy, to be one of the most publicly viewed marriages of our time.

Now...back to Canada where we woke up to Election Day day...monarchy doesn't rule our day-but our ELECTED government does.

People do not miss out on the opportunity and privilege that many have worked tirelessly and given their lives for.

...and if you don't vote-don't complain.

Rough Night

I stopped counting how many times I've yawned today.

Up until the last 5 nights or so, Jay had been an angelic sleeper.

Fall asleep between 10:00-11:30pm, 2-3 good feedings during the night (one by her Dad with formula), then up between 10:00-11:30am.

Yeah, like I said, angelic.

Well, last night I was up every 30hr-1hr feeding her until 6:30am, when she finally decided to crash for 4 hours.

Oh yes, and she isn't taking her formula anymore. She is only interested in Mom's Restaurant.

I know this is hardly the worst it could be. Many a mom's have told me their horror stories of ridiculous schedules and feedings.

No matter, a change in your schedule, regardless of what everyone is doing, is still a change.

So, with a few extra yawns, and a less than eager attitude to clean the house today,  I am resting...preparing for another night of weird sleeping and trying to remember that I'll never get these days back, and at some point, I won't always be her end all be all.

Crossing my fingers and holding my thumbs for more than 4 hours of straight sleep couldn't hurt though.