Dear Jacqui,
I am of course way too organized and perfect to relate to most of your post, but I will say this:
That sucks.
Love, Jen
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Monday, 26 September 2011
Fatal Error--done with pizzaz
Dear Jen,
Take yourself back to this past Wednesday, and imagine me getting up with a sense of great purpose and importance because this is the day I take the children to Maggie's Place playgroup. I've re-checked the information ten times: it's at 10:00, at "Village Fire Hall" in Bible Hill--a five minute drive away. So as we all know, that means that I've got to book it from the moment my feet hit the floor if I hope to be only five minutes late. I tell Evelyn that we're going to playgroup today, and so now she's excited too.
Gavin doesn't know or care.
I'm so on top of things! I get the kids breakfasted, dressed, teeth and hair brushed (and do it all again for myself--yes that's right, I even remembered to brush my teeth!), pack up my shoulder bag with diapers, water, and back-up snacks (in case their idea of a snack is three cheerios and an ounce of punch), put shoes on my daughter, earrings in my ears (just for a little pizzaz for my debut into Truro society), pick up the baby, and head out the door at 9:55.
This is setting up to be an excellent morning.
We drive up the winding road to the location, which I find without incident, and park in the lot. I haul out my children, walk to the building, and am greeted immediately by a lady at the front desk. I say to her, "I'm looking for the playgroup?" To which she responds, "Oh yes, they usually have that here." (this is the moment I become a bit wary) "Let me go check." She speaks to a lady in the room behind, and comes back a moment later. "Playgroup," she says,
"Was yesterday."
DOH.
Yes yes, I am a dufus. I checked ALL the details ten times, it's true--made sure this playgroup said "Drop-In, no sign up required!"; double checked that it was a 10:00 start and not one of the 9:30 ones; googled the address twice; and I am so sure, looked at the day!!! Where did I go wrong???
It was all very disappointing. I had even put on an outrageously colourful and questionably-matching outfit for the big day...
The silver lining is that there was another playgroup of equal distance from house in the opposite direction on Friday. So we cut our losses and spent the morning at the Victoria Park playground (where Evelyn incidentally found a three-year-old boy to play with for most of our visit there--about which you could tell she was ticked pink. Especially when she started making farting jokes which the boy laughed at. She was greatly pleased. Ah how she misses the glory days with Zach!), and went to playgroup on Friday instead.
So how was playgroup do you ask? It was alright. Picture an elementary school gym FULL of various types of toys: building toys; train toys; animal toys; baby toys; dress-up; puppets; balls; kid-sized school bus-shaped tents--and activities: colouring; gluing; jello-painting; laminated papers with velcro shapes (good idea for a quiet book!). Gavin spent the entire time toddling from station to station--he was so overwhelmed with stimuli! Evelyn found a princess dress and spent the rest of the time prancing around in it, urging me to participate in various games with her. My only complaint is that it is so large it becomes very easy to find yourself in one of those situations where you are entirely alone in a room full of people. You just have to think of it like a park, I guess: if you find yourself next to another mom, think of some unoriginal line to strike up a conversation, and hopefully she comes back next week!
This Wednesday I'm going to the fancy sign-up-on-a-week-by-week-basis Maggie's Place Proper playgroup, which is sign up because the space is much more limited. I am very interested in going to that one. Maybe I'll even venture to wear earrings again. Also I can easily walk to this one, so that's nice!
Oh! I also just thought of something else: we got our first Truro-addressed bill! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS??? Time to get a library card! Yay!
So...rainy season still holding up back in the 'Wack?
Love,
Jacqui
Take yourself back to this past Wednesday, and imagine me getting up with a sense of great purpose and importance because this is the day I take the children to Maggie's Place playgroup. I've re-checked the information ten times: it's at 10:00, at "Village Fire Hall" in Bible Hill--a five minute drive away. So as we all know, that means that I've got to book it from the moment my feet hit the floor if I hope to be only five minutes late. I tell Evelyn that we're going to playgroup today, and so now she's excited too.
Gavin doesn't know or care.
I'm so on top of things! I get the kids breakfasted, dressed, teeth and hair brushed (and do it all again for myself--yes that's right, I even remembered to brush my teeth!), pack up my shoulder bag with diapers, water, and back-up snacks (in case their idea of a snack is three cheerios and an ounce of punch), put shoes on my daughter, earrings in my ears (just for a little pizzaz for my debut into Truro society), pick up the baby, and head out the door at 9:55.
This is setting up to be an excellent morning.
We drive up the winding road to the location, which I find without incident, and park in the lot. I haul out my children, walk to the building, and am greeted immediately by a lady at the front desk. I say to her, "I'm looking for the playgroup?" To which she responds, "Oh yes, they usually have that here." (this is the moment I become a bit wary) "Let me go check." She speaks to a lady in the room behind, and comes back a moment later. "Playgroup," she says,
"Was yesterday."
DOH.
Yes yes, I am a dufus. I checked ALL the details ten times, it's true--made sure this playgroup said "Drop-In, no sign up required!"; double checked that it was a 10:00 start and not one of the 9:30 ones; googled the address twice; and I am so sure, looked at the day!!! Where did I go wrong???
It was all very disappointing. I had even put on an outrageously colourful and questionably-matching outfit for the big day...
The silver lining is that there was another playgroup of equal distance from house in the opposite direction on Friday. So we cut our losses and spent the morning at the Victoria Park playground (where Evelyn incidentally found a three-year-old boy to play with for most of our visit there--about which you could tell she was ticked pink. Especially when she started making farting jokes which the boy laughed at. She was greatly pleased. Ah how she misses the glory days with Zach!), and went to playgroup on Friday instead.
So how was playgroup do you ask? It was alright. Picture an elementary school gym FULL of various types of toys: building toys; train toys; animal toys; baby toys; dress-up; puppets; balls; kid-sized school bus-shaped tents--and activities: colouring; gluing; jello-painting; laminated papers with velcro shapes (good idea for a quiet book!). Gavin spent the entire time toddling from station to station--he was so overwhelmed with stimuli! Evelyn found a princess dress and spent the rest of the time prancing around in it, urging me to participate in various games with her. My only complaint is that it is so large it becomes very easy to find yourself in one of those situations where you are entirely alone in a room full of people. You just have to think of it like a park, I guess: if you find yourself next to another mom, think of some unoriginal line to strike up a conversation, and hopefully she comes back next week!
This Wednesday I'm going to the fancy sign-up-on-a-week-by-week-basis Maggie's Place Proper playgroup, which is sign up because the space is much more limited. I am very interested in going to that one. Maybe I'll even venture to wear earrings again. Also I can easily walk to this one, so that's nice!
Oh! I also just thought of something else: we got our first Truro-addressed bill! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS??? Time to get a library card! Yay!
So...rainy season still holding up back in the 'Wack?
Love,
Jacqui
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Day 27 - Awkward Defined
Dear Jacqui,
... while extremely adorable, contains graffiti that leaves me feeling a little...umm...not so sane.
Do you see what I see?
No, no - not the spray painting on the yellow slide. (I actually cropped most of that out before printing)
Look closer.
Closer... closer... you might have to click on the picture (but trust me - you wouldn't have to if it was printed off and in a cute frame in your living room)
Yep!... That's it.
A little female anatomy carved in right by Masen's foot.
Who does that?!
Ummm... Awkward.
Love, Jen
In an effort to be a better me, I've been spending my time re-evaluating JenC v2.7 to see what improvements could be made for the quickly approaching release of JenC v2.8. Mostly I've been bemoaning my messy house, crappy meal planning and lack of individual quality time spent with the kidlings; but I also been reminiscing about all the cute little things I used to do when I only had one child and a bit more of my sanity.
With resolution to give the illusion that I am restoring some of my sanity, I decided to do a little "grandparent project". (Practically "Mommy of the Year!") As such, Z & I have spent oodles of time this week creating crafts, ordering pictures online, waiting in line at Walmart, addressing and stamping envelopes, etc, etc, ETC, only to realize the picture I chose...
... while extremely adorable, contains graffiti that leaves me feeling a little...umm...not so sane.
Do you see what I see?
No, no - not the spray painting on the yellow slide. (I actually cropped most of that out before printing)
Look closer.
Closer... closer... you might have to click on the picture (but trust me - you wouldn't have to if it was printed off and in a cute frame in your living room)
Yep!... That's it.
A little female anatomy carved in right by Masen's foot.
Who does that?!
Ummm... Awkward.
Love, Jen
Monday, 19 September 2011
Friday, 16 September 2011
Inspiring Words
Dear Jen,
"Always look on the bright side of life..."
Please call and complain away if tomorrow is as bad if it will ease your burden a little. I would greatly enjoy listening to your laments! I have in my day called my mother on several illness occassions to wimper pathetically into the receiver, just for a little pity and understanding. It did wonders to my morale.
"Lean on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend--I'll help you carry on..."
Here's a little inspiration for you:
That is awful--really really awful! I wish I was there so I could be of real use to you for once! Return the favour that you did for me a thousand times! I can vividly imagine your body's agony as it lies on the bean bag chair with the toddler poking at it--maybe shaking just a little from exhaustion. I remember those moments and they were absolutely terrible! And poor little Masen. Well, at least with the chicken pox he'll be immune for LIFE, right?
"Always look on the bright side of life..."
*pathetic toothy smile and a weak thumbs up*
Please call and complain away if tomorrow is as bad if it will ease your burden a little. I would greatly enjoy listening to your laments! I have in my day called my mother on several illness occassions to wimper pathetically into the receiver, just for a little pity and understanding. It did wonders to my morale.
"Lean on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend--I'll help you carry on..."
Here's a little inspiration for you:
Ok so while you listen to the soothing serenading of James Taylor, I will tell you about my exciting couple of days. I did not wind up going to the playgroup. Mostly because my cold got to such a peak that I hardly could talk, and I thought this was not a great way to present myself to strangers with whom I hoped to become better acquainted. No, instead I spent my time fruitfully going to thrift stores to look for some very key pieces of furniture which we were missing, and which were hindering the further unpacking of my house. The trip was highly successful! We found a hideous but comfortable couch set (there's a smaller one too!),
a terrible looking but large and sturdy dresser (which I have since repainted--using paint my landlords left in the closet from when they were upgrading the house),
and a collapsible place-saver table to tide us over till we can attain my parents' 8-foot custom-made table, at which point it will retire as a very useful window-front table upon which we probably will place some nice plants,
ALL FOR UNDER $100!
I feel very proud. And exhilirated. You've been buying only used for a few months now--isn't a good find so very exhilirating?
Brad also managed to find an assortment of entirely mismatched wooden chairs to accompany our table, for $10-$20 each at a cute little antique shop. Perhaps I shall take a picture of those too sometime. Maybe once I get my parents' table and laithe the legs and repaint that forest green to a nice robin's egg blue.
Anyway so that's what I did on Wednesday instead of Maggie's Place. We also visited the library, which was a big hit with the kids, but which I will not be returning to until I can get myself a library card and actually take out books. My mother asked why it mattered, and I explained that without a purpose there, visiting the library becomes simply an exercise in chasing Gavin around, since his favourite activities are climbing on the table and removing toys and books from the shelves to throw them on the floor.
But it's about two blocks away, so I will definitely be returning frequently.
Tomorrow we visit Victoria Park. Probably I will be returning with pictures. I spoke to a very nice lady at a used clothing store who told me they have two playgrounds there, and a pool, and a spray park, and that's on top of the trails and waterfall and other facilities. I'm looking very forward.
Well, good luck with your night my friend. I bet you're starting to get nervous right around now. Have you asked the doctors about Codine for babies? Sure makes adults drowsy!
Day 22 - Wish you were here
Dear Jacqui,
Well, after M only sleeping 20-45 minutes at a time for the last 48 hours and then refusing to eat for the last 18, I am thinking that perhaps the song in my previous post is actually for me.
Do you know how much heavier a 24 lb baby is than a newborn baby? And how much louder they are?
I was thinking this morning as I tried to catch an 18 minute nap in the bean bag chair with Z poking me all over playing "doctor" how if you were here I would dial your number, and grunt one word into the phone...
"Come"
Instead, I've yet to find enough <quiet> moments to myself to call anyone much less put together some time to "chat". And I would feel guilty and ridiculous if our second time actually talking since you left was me lamenting over my exhaustion and crappy circumstances instead of being a supportive "you can do it" friend.
Although supposing I "got over that" and it wasn't bedtime for you now, I think I call and say this, "Come I'm tired, I'm going to lose it Come Please feel bad for me Come Now please keep Zach on the phone for the next 18 minutes while I collapse into this bean bag chair without him poking at me while simultaneously praying that this is one of Masen's 45 minute stretches. Come"
You are missed.
And I am pathetic.
Love, Jen
P.S. How was Maggie's Place? Have you thought of trying "Meetup" to see if you can find a Mom's group there? (While this is partially just a lame attempt at making this not all about me, I do actually care.)
Now to go listen to the song and cry... (Here is the "official" music video)
Well, after M only sleeping 20-45 minutes at a time for the last 48 hours and then refusing to eat for the last 18, I am thinking that perhaps the song in my previous post is actually for me.
Do you know how much heavier a 24 lb baby is than a newborn baby? And how much louder they are?
I was thinking this morning as I tried to catch an 18 minute nap in the bean bag chair with Z poking me all over playing "doctor" how if you were here I would dial your number, and grunt one word into the phone...
"Come"
Instead, I've yet to find enough <quiet> moments to myself to call anyone much less put together some time to "chat". And I would feel guilty and ridiculous if our second time actually talking since you left was me lamenting over my exhaustion and crappy circumstances instead of being a supportive "you can do it" friend.
Although supposing I "got over that" and it wasn't bedtime for you now, I think I call and say this, "
You are missed.
And I am pathetic.
Love, Jen
P.S. How was Maggie's Place? Have you thought of trying "Meetup" to see if you can find a Mom's group there? (While this is partially just a lame attempt at making this not all about me, I do actually care.)
Now to go listen to the song and cry... (Here is the "official" music video)
Day 21 - Seeing Spots
Dear Jacqui,
So, back to your message - I noticed in you posted "Zach" right up in there with "Sister Coleman"... is that your secret way of telling me that Evelyn actually hates Zach? Come on now... this is bloggy land... be honest!
But more seriously, poor girl! I can't even imagine how tough that must be for her and how tough it must be for you!!! (I feel like a crazy person each time Z asks for E and that is our only big change!) But, you can do it! You can make friends! You are funny, smart, crafty, brave, charismatic and you have charming children. (& I am not hitting on you!) It is tough and awkward and uncomfortable (which basically is the same thing as "awkward" but whatever) but it is so worth it! Think back to when you reached out to Carolanne... that really changed everything! (For you AND for me! You are the first friend I have had in my entire "mommy hood" life that I didn't pick for my kids!... although E & G were definitely "perks"!) Take it as you are ready... expect some quietness, but be prepared for some greatness. His grace is sufficient for you! Do I need to sing a song for you? ;)
Love, Jen
P.S. I've heard that before and I love it! Have you heard "You can suffer the pain of change or suffer remaining the way you are.” Ummm... ouch!
P.P.S. Masen has woken up twice in the time it has taken for me to type this message... I see another long, long night ahead of me! Pray for me when you wake up... It might give me a few hours of sleep before Chillville's dawn!
Well, I think I win the award for most ridiculous sicknesses for one adorable baby. Seriously. That "Ginger Gene" has been nothing but problems and it is making me a bit crazy!
After our second bout of "Hold me all night because I have a fever of 104" in 8 weeks, I made an appointment with good ole Dr. W for today. Fortunately he wasn't actually there and I got to see Dr. B instead. Not so fortunately (or maybe fortunately depending on how you look at it), Dr. B looked at Masen for 1.6 seconds, called the nurse, dictated a memo and sent us straight to the ER. He actually even offered to drive us! Anyways... 8 hours, 6 needle pokes, 3 attempts to get urine, 2 chest x-rays, 1 toddler and 0 bathroom breaks later... (okay... you're right, I'm exaggerating... Joel came & got Zach after 5 and a half hours... it was only me & M there for 8 hours... I'm totally beefing up the story for sympathy) and Chicken Little has Chicken POX. (Did I mention the hundreds of little spots that appeared while we were at the hospital?)
Oh yeah, and a UTI/possible kidney infection... no biggie.
So we go back tomorrow for round two of injectable antibiotics. (For the infection... not the pox)
Yay us... or not.
Lovin' the blog header by the way... you open our blog and BAM there we are, my quasy eye & everything, smilin' right atcha! Never noticed the power of that thing until you stuck it in black and white. Thank you for doing that... Woot! (That is a sincere "thanks" followed by a sarcastic "woot" in case you were confused.)After our second bout of "Hold me all night because I have a fever of 104" in 8 weeks, I made an appointment with good ole Dr. W for today. Fortunately he wasn't actually there and I got to see Dr. B instead. Not so fortunately (or maybe fortunately depending on how you look at it), Dr. B looked at Masen for 1.6 seconds, called the nurse, dictated a memo and sent us straight to the ER. He actually even offered to drive us! Anyways... 8 hours, 6 needle pokes, 3 attempts to get urine, 2 chest x-rays, 1 toddler and 0 bathroom breaks later... (okay... you're right, I'm exaggerating... Joel came & got Zach after 5 and a half hours... it was only me & M there for 8 hours... I'm totally beefing up the story for sympathy) and Chicken Little has Chicken POX. (Did I mention the hundreds of little spots that appeared while we were at the hospital?)
Oh yeah, and a UTI/possible kidney infection... no biggie.
So we go back tomorrow for round two of injectable antibiotics. (For the infection... not the pox)
Yay us... or not.
So, back to your message - I noticed in you posted "Zach" right up in there with "Sister Coleman"... is that your secret way of telling me that Evelyn actually hates Zach? Come on now... this is bloggy land... be honest!
But more seriously, poor girl! I can't even imagine how tough that must be for her and how tough it must be for you!!! (I feel like a crazy person each time Z asks for E and that is our only big change!) But, you can do it! You can make friends! You are funny, smart, crafty, brave, charismatic and you have charming children. (& I am not hitting on you!) It is tough and awkward and uncomfortable (which basically is the same thing as "awkward" but whatever) but it is so worth it! Think back to when you reached out to Carolanne... that really changed everything! (For you AND for me! You are the first friend I have had in my entire "mommy hood" life that I didn't pick for my kids!... although E & G were definitely "perks"!) Take it as you are ready... expect some quietness, but be prepared for some greatness. His grace is sufficient for you! Do I need to sing a song for you? ;)
Love, Jen
P.S. I've heard that before and I love it! Have you heard "You can suffer the pain of change or suffer remaining the way you are.” Ummm... ouch!
P.P.S. Masen has woken up twice in the time it has taken for me to type this message... I see another long, long night ahead of me! Pray for me when you wake up... It might give me a few hours of sleep before Chillville's dawn!
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