7 Hours

Things are looking up around here at night.

We have commenced Operation Night Weaning in the hopes of getting Mommy (that would be me) a little more uninterrupted shut eye. I was prepared for the worst but it’s been going quite well.

So well, in fact, that Diaperbutt slept 7 straight hours last night. I however did not because I kept waking up trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

Now after 3 nights of good long chunks of sleep (5, 5 & 7) I am looking forward to going to bed tonight!!! I am also well aware that typing that has probably already jinxed the anticipated sleep.

I tell you though, he was a hungry, hungry boy at 4:30 when he woke!!!

Toddler = No Sleep?

We’ve been getting very little sleep around here & that is why I’ve been absent. Last night was better so we’ve got our fingers crossed tonight will be even better.

My baby is most definitely a toddler now & apparently that means he no longer likes going to bed. Sigh.

It’s making for very long days & even longer nights.

But this too shall pass.

Shovelling – Ugh!

My Mom like shovelling. Actually enjoys it. If I didn’t look so much like her I would say that alone is proof I am not hers.

It’s really too bad she didn’t pass her snow shovelling love down to me – ’cause there sure is a good chunk of snow out there. I’m done my shovelling for tonight but the plow has not gone by so I know there will be more of it tomorrow.

And I am seriously questioning the “need” to keep our driveway 3 cars wide – after all we currently only have one car.

At least I’m not as grumpy over missing my training session tonight now. I worked up a good sweat & my back is aching from my 45 minutes of shovelling – so I’m counting it!

Baaaad Baby

A friend was visiting last week. At one point I made an offhand comment on how Diaperbutt is such a baaaad baby. Her jaw literally dropped in horror & she quickly admonished me “There’s no such thing as a bad baby!”

I couldn’t stop laughing at her reaction & the realization that I have said this on here & in public before. I wonder how many people I have shocked?

Around here we use bad as a term of endearment – really, we do! The baby, the dogs, the cats & even each other get called bad – usually with an emphasis on the ‘aaaa’.

But come on now, "running" up the stairs when he spies the gate open IS just a little bad!!!

A Few of My Favourite Things

(Is it possible to say that line without singing it?!)

I really like my home. Some days I have to remind myself of that when I get overwhelmed with all the things that still need to be done around here. But the work involved in owning an old house is balanced by a warmth & sense of being part of an intimate history. I like knowing so many other families have loved & argued, been born & died, enjoyed meals & good times together under this roof – it’s comforting to me.

This is our livingroom ceiling (excuse the ugly fan - we didn't choose it). It amazes me how long someone must have spent putting together this ceiling.

But most of my favourite things are the items in my house that make it feel like home – things that keep us warm regardless of what roof is over our heads.

Grumpy Bear snuggled down deep under a quilt his mother made us. This quilt is so heavy & warm - nothing more heavenly than hearing a winter storm outside while lying snug & warm inside.

Things that are just plain fun.

Diaperbutt's toy collection - his favourite game currently is to empty the blocks out & spread them around the room as much as possible.

And things that give me a sense of satisfaction because I made them with my own two hands to take care of my family.

The basket of diapers full & ready for use. The yellow flannel I was not so thrilled about when I made them is starting to fade to really nice shade now.

Or things that Grumpy Bear & I & our wonderful friends & family worked together to make our home more nourishing & welcoming.

The shelves over the sink are one of my favourite aspects of our kitchen. We still need to find shelf brackets that we really like but for now these will do the job (& the electrical you see hanging down is shut off - waiting for future under cabinet lighting).

And although we joke often about their “badness” level our house would not be the same without our furry four-legged companions. There is little that feels more “right” to me than to sit quietly in the livingroom hearing the deep breathing of sleeping animals scattered about the room – it’s pretty hard to not feel all is right in the world when they are so content.

Sweet pup.

My Summer Plans

2010 is the 100th anniversary of Guiding in Canada!! We will be celebrating with all sorts of activities with the biggest being Guiding Mosaic 2010. I am super excited to be attending this event as the Co-Lead for Waterfront with my good friend Bert!

I attended Canadian Mosaic ‘99 in New Brunswick as a lifeguard & Guiding Mosaic ‘06 as a patrol guider & part-time lifeguard. Both experiences were absolutely fabulous, memorable events.

Bert & I have been working on getting our team in place (of course we are still needing lifeguards!) & planning out the details of the waterfront, but really I’m most excited for when everyone arrives in Guelph next July.

The Big Girl – An Update

The Big Girl got her tooth pulled today. I woke up early, nursed Diaperbutt & while he slumbered on I brought the Big Girl to the vet. It’s a little over a half hour drive from here but we like them so much there it is worth it. They told me to call in the afternoon to see when I could come back for her.

At 11:30 the vet called telling Grumpy Bear “She would probably be happier at home.”, which was really just a nice way of saying “Come get your mutt – she’s driving us nutty!”. Our girl has always been an anxious pup & she is far from happy when put into a kennel.

She seems to be doing well although her gums are awfully swollen & sore looking. She is refusing to eat (which made give her some more pain meds more difficult) & a little mopey but she’ll be just fine. She scared us a couple times this afternoon when her legs just crumbled under her but we’ll keep an eye on her & I’m sure she’ll be fine.

Grumpy Bear is commiserating with her – after all his dental work in Costa Rica before we left he knows better than most how she feels.

Bummy Sunday

*Warning: if you are squeamish about teeth & blood please do not look ahead as I’ve posted a close up of the Big Girl’s injury.*

That’s what Grumpy Bear & I used to call Sundays when we were first living together. It just seemed to be a bad day of the week for us & we often ended the week on a low. But over the years we’ve generally found Sundays to be a touch more enjoyable with the occasional exception.

Today was an exception.

We started off slowly & grumpy this morning. We didn’t do the housework we planned yesterday & so our to do list today was longer than it should have been. We decided to go get lunch & then get at it when we returned. The powers that be had other plans.

We returned & as we were upstairs getting Diaperbutt settled for his nap we heard a crash & a dog scramble. Grumpy Bear went running down to break them up & when he returned he had the Big Girl with him with a bloody mouth. Closer inspection showed things were not looking good.

The Big Girl's left top lip looks quite swollen but it's actually her tooth pushing the lip out.

Why is it that pets never seemed to get injured at 9:00am on a weekday morning? Emergency trips to the vet are NOT cheap.

The Big Girl broke a tooth & it is now sitting at a horrifying 90* angle to the rest of her teeth. Oddly it is not at all wiggly & the vet figures she broke it off just above the jaw. She gave her a shot of painkiller & sent us home with two days worth until we can get her in to have it taken care of properly.

Just thinking about the grotesque angle her tooth is sitting at makes my skin crawl. I just wish we could figure out how she did it.

Our vet is fabulous & I know she will take good care of our girl, once again. She has been there for us through the years from when the Big Girl jumped out a second story window a couple days after her spaying & dewclaw removal surgery to redoing the paperwork multiple times when our move to Costa Rica was delayed due to flight unavailability.

But any way you cut it putting an older dog under general anaesthetic to remove a broken tooth (& ensure no shards are left behind to get infected) will not be a cheap. Sigh.

 

He Found His Rhythm

Some babies apparently fall into a sleep rhythm quite young. Not my boy. But apparently turning one has been good for him as we finally have a predictable rhythm. It took a full year but I can now confidently tell someone what time my boy goes to bed.

I’ll admit I’m more than a little bit scared that putting this down in words will jinx the whole thing.

I’m Going

I’m going to the gym tonight. I don’t want to but I’m going anyway.

Like our godson says “I don’t have to like it, right?”

Nope, I don’t have to like it, I just have to do it.