Random Friday - The Bellydancing Post

What's so random about Belly Dancing, you ask?
If you knew me you would understand.
Yes, I may have spirit. I may enjoy music and dancing and having fun. These are all somewhat known facts about me.
However, my dance skills are not good.
So the fact that I decided to take a bellydancing class is pretty darn random. The fact that my sister took it with me is just plain crazy. And the fact that I'm blogging about it. Well, that's not so crazy.
Here's a brief history of my dance skills. My parents wisely avoided dance classes for me when I was really little. I had a tendency to run into walls and tables and desks and the like. They figurd that I may kill myself if I had to spin around and do other things like that.
It wasn't until I was about 9 that my parents had the courage to enroll me in a dance program. This program encompassed various aspects of dance including jazz.
I was horrible.
Sure I had the spirit.I tried. It was a summer class and by the end of the summer I had mastered the Step-Ball-Change. That is all I had mastered. I think I was a tree or something. It was horrible.
My sister is talented. She mastered it all.
I dropped out of dance.
Fast forward a few years. I had visions of being in musicals. My parents enrolled me in a musical theatre program. Again I took dance. Again I sucked.
Not a good sign.
I quit the formal dance training (and later learned that I couldn't really sing or act either). When I hit the legal drinking age, or so, I learned that dancing is much more fun after a few drinks, when it doesn't really matter how you look or what you are doing as long as you are moving. This sufficed for several years.
Until this week. When Becky and I decided to learn to shimmy in a bellydancing class.
Sadly my dancing skills had not improved at all.
When we got to the class we were given some interesting scarves to wrap around our waists. I just couldn't help it. I started to do my own little belly dance. And I started to giggle.
And, the thing about me is that when I get into a good giggle, I can't stop. I really mean it. I snort and I breathe funny and the harder I try to stop the harder I laugh. My sister, who has been my sister for the last 28 years could see it coming. And started to shush me. But it was infectious. So there we were, not even into the warm up with me on the floor laughing.
We get started. As the poor teacher is trying to show us moves I'm losing it. We started out with a neck movement. I understand that the purpose of the class is to learn all the various isolation movements and then put them together.
But seriously.
How on earth are you supposed to look at a room full of people doing neck movements and not laugh. I made the mistake of looking at my sister who was trying REALLY hard (and succeeding, I may add) and lost it.
This basically went on the whole class. I'd try something and screw it up, catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and start laughing inwardly. Then I'd look at my sister and see her doing the thing, realize how ridiculous it is that BECKY IS A BELLYDANCER and start to laugh.
So we get through the first 35 minutes. It felt like 6 hours. I was tired. My abs were aching (from the laughing) and I thought to myself "cool, maybe we will have time for coffee."
But NO!
It's time to "put it all together" and do some dances.
By some I mean 3.
Three separate songs where we had to use all the movements we had learned and put it all together following the teacher.
Do you know how hard it is to shimmy? It's even harder to shimmy and then do a neck thing and then do pelvic thrusts and then prance around the room backwards and forwards. My sister, of course, did not find it that hard. She just followed along. So did I.
The problem is that in any class where i have to follow a teacher I just watch the teacher and pretend I am her. I find it very distracting to look in the mirror. I either start obsessing about the rolls of fat or I throw myself off with my jerky movements. Plus, the teacher is usuallay prettier.
However, since we were at the back (Becky insisted on this - I prefer the front) I was right next to a mirror. And I caught a glimpse of myself.
Was I ever bad.
In my head I thought I was really catching on and learning some of the fine art of belly dancing.
NOPE.
I looked more like a lumberjack trying ballet for the first time.
So I decided that I had had it with this whole sensual dance thing I was going improv!
I skipped. I flitted. I spinned. I shimmied. I loosely followed direction. Becky kept dancing away from me. I didn't care. I was having fun.
At one point the phrase "this is bellydance not interpretive dance" may have escaped from her lips.
But let's be honest.
What did you expect.
When the three songs were over we had cool down. The breathing exercises actually did me in. I just sat in a tiny little ball and laughed. And so did Becky. I finally sucked her in to the giggling of the day.
I think we're going back. Next week.
We are on the hunt for coin belts. I think I would be an even more excellent shimmier if I made noise while I did it. Next week, also, I have decided I'm going to add some leaps in. Just a few balletic movements. Who knew bellydancing could be so fun.

TGIF!!!

If it's too cold to go outside ...

Last night was cold. Frigid. And since there was snow Matthew wanted to play outside.
NO WAY!
So, I decided to entertain Matt with my incredible skills.
So ...


I became a one-woman rollerblading band. In addition to playing guitar I also played the drums.

And I also mastered the marraccas.

All the while
my husband took pictures, and matt played and sang along. We sang songs like Jingle Bells and Happy Birthday and had a whole lot of fun. Of course, my rollerblading skills are not the best. But, it would turn out, they are far superior to the skating skills that I tried to master on the weekend.
I was so inspired by this that I did several laps of the basement screaming "wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee"!!!!
You think I'm kidding. But, I'm not. Matt chased me screaming the same thing while Mike finally retreated scared that I was less mature than our two year old.
See ... fun! I recommend it. And then I went to the gym and ran (3 and 1's for those of you who care about such things)
And, what did Matt think of my performance??? His face says it all.

Stay out of the cold everyone!!!!

Just something I'm thinking about

Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is a runner.
I was telling him how I'd starting going back to the gym, and that for some reason I have this running bug, and I keep thinking about running a 5k.
It's not like I have done this EVER.
I'll be the first to admit I'm not a running. I don't have a runner's body, I don't have a runner's stamina, and I have asthma.
And, as this friend pointed out to me - I don't exactly have the mindset of a runner. (that would be a mindset that focuses on one thing).
Now, I should tell you about this friend of mine. First of all, the reason I saw him yesterday was because he was celebrating a birthday - his 65th!! The man runs marathons. He's incredible. I know him through his son, a friend (and sometimes boyfriend) of mine in high school. So, yep, if anyone has any right to think they know how my mind works he probably would be one of those people.
But what I have going for me is a somewhat obsessive streak. If I want to obtain a goal, I usually do - through sheer will power.
In this case I will need willpower and a whole lot of stamina.
So we sat and figured out a bit of a plan in order for me to be able to run a 5k by my birthday (that is May 20th - mark your calendars, people, I like chocolate cake!). This is not to say I will run the whole thing. I think the goal is to make it through 5 k even if that means crawling part of the way.
And, I figure what is not to love about the runner's life? You get an uninterrupted time to listen to music, you get into shape, and you are encouraged to eat a whole ton of carbs!!! I love it.
So, tonight I will stick to my plan.
We'll see how long this lasts.
Mind you, tomorrow I'm attempting belly dancing. Seriously. I've done it once before and it is not something I am good at. I plan to drag my sister - after all I am going to Pilates ....

Laural (another one) and Skating - oh the excitement!!!

I'm soooo excited.
Let me introduce you to Laural!!!
No, not me silly. Another Laural.
I was reading my comments this morning and I got this comment from another Laural. Another Laural whose name is spelled correctly.
And, I laughed because when I read her blog I noticed that she also had Random Friday. Just like me. Cool. I'm so keeping up with Random Friday just because of this.
If you don't understand my excitement about this, then you likely have a name that is common. A name that you could find on stickers or barrettes or mini licence plates. Don't get me wrong. I like my name. I have grown to embrace it. and I wouldn't change it if I had the choice. But hearing from someone with my name. It made my day.

----

So yesterday ... What a crazy day! After gymnastics we decided to take the kids skating. We being my sister and I and our husbands. I HATE skating. I love to watch it, but I hate doing it. I am not coordinated and I don't really enjoy the cold.
Kyla really wanted to skate though. And Matt was on the Kyla bandwagon. I admit, I tried to bribe Miss K with licks and chapters but she just kept saying "maybe AFTER skating" so we went. Matt and I did not last very long. (Mike just took pictures).
He can't skate at all, so it's up to me to keep him upright. I wasn't good at it. We tried just holding one hand, but he kept tripping. We finally discovered I had to hold him from behind and tell him to walk. Good thing I'm short. It wasn't too bad.
Three minutes in he lost his balance and I lost my balance and we both went flying. OUCH!! I had wisely ought him a nice helmet and he had snowpants on. He was fine. I, on the other hand, am still nursing a sore knee :(
The bruise is great. I must remember to wear pants and long skirts this week to cover the knee.

Gymnastics ... we LOVE it

We loved gymnastics today. LOVED it!
There was a bit of a rough start because Matt decided that he wanted to stay home and watch Cars instead of going out. But, with the lure of a bottle of chocolate milk in the car he decided to get dressed and join me.
So, there were a few mishaps on route. Aren't there always? The first was that there was ice on the car so we got started late. And then when I was driving there I went around the corner to fast and my phone went flying. And of course it started to ring, and, since there were no cars around I slowed down in the middle of the road (empty road) and stopped and leaned over to reach the phone. Somehow I managed to shift the car into neutral and could not figure out why the car wasn't working right. And, then I went to the wrong place and it was locked. Oops.
Okay, so I told my sister I would call her back and managed to negotiate my way to the correct gymnastics facility where we arrived still in good time.
Everyone was really nice.
I got Matty into his shorts and t-shirt and then we waited for the warm up.
So, all the 9am classes are kids. So the whole gym is set up for little kids. It was super cool. BUt there's a warm up room and then a gym with all the equipment.
All the kids from that hour warm up together with the parents who are in the parent tot classes. How fun is that? I rock at Mousercise. So does Matt. It's like 7 minutes of really gentle aerobics. Matt followed along really well. I did okay too.
Then finally we met the coach and went into the gym. Basically the kids all go to different stations in groups and they go through a circuit. It's teaching them the basic gymnastic skills. We learned stuff like how to stop on the trampoline which was neat. And Matt did a zillion sommersaults. The teacher actually asked me if this was his second time doing gymnastics! I know. Soon he'll be in the Olympics.
Actually, he just loves sommersaults. And the balance beam. He was pretty excited by that one. And they also let them swing on the bars and he screamed "I'm a monkey." Adorable.
Honestly, I had a blast. And, I am looking forward to these Saturday sessions.
I was a little worried about the other parents. I didn't know what to expect. But everyone was really cool. In contrast to some of the parent/tot classes I did in Toronto, I did not feel super young. Some parents were a good 10 years older than me, but others were around my age. A couple of the parents who do this are fathers and I thought that was pretty cool.
I did, however, realize that I have the capacity of being a pushy sports parent. I kept wanting Matt to be at the front of the line. I'm embarrassed to say that I was being a tad over-excited when his sommersaults were better than the rest of the class (in my opinion) and I was thrilled when he totally listened to the teachers.
Am I one of THOSE parents??? Oh No!!!! I must check this attitude quickly. It's about fun, not competing. I know this. I must remember this.
By the end of the session I was tired. He kept me going.
Last night I went to the gym and pushed it a little too hard, so I was a little stiff to start with. And, since we're going skating this afternoon ... I'm really getting back in shape. Wow! Can you tell it's January.

Random Friday

So, since everybody has special days on their blogs (Jeff has Tuesday Newsday and a zillion people including Haley have Thursday Thirteen and Heather has Wordless Wednesday) I felt kind of left out. Hence the decision to have Random Friday.
Okay, so I get that it doesn't rhyme or follow the convention of it matching the letter of the day of the week. I say WHATEVER. My creation my name. But, if anyone has a suggestion bring it on.
Why Random Friday? Well, for those of you who know me and for those of you who have read this long enough to feel you know me, I have a lot of random thoughts.
And today's randomness.
Well, let's start with the GO Train. A friend of mine told me that in Vancouver they have trains, much like the GO Train, that have dedicated cars. There is a sleeping car where the lights are turned down low and there is a cafeteria cart where you can get coffee and stuff.
So, as I was listening to my lovely mix on my ipod this morning, Mr Timberlake singing Sexy Back gave me the best idea EVER. There needs to be a dance car.
Think about it. I don't mean every morning. But in the nights. How many times have people taken the train from suburbia to Toronto to go clubbing on like a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. And, wanted to get into the mood. Imagine a car where you could hang out and prepare for the evening ahead.
Okay, maybe not. But, I could totally go for it.
I was also thinking that it would be really nice to have a morning dj. You know, to get everyone going. Seriously, in the morning I am a much much nicer person at work if I've listened to really good music all the way to work. Granted not everyone would think that a constant repeat of Sexy Back (Justin Timberlake) and I Don't Feel Like Dancing (Scissor Sisters) is a great way to start the day. But, duh, that's what a dj is for. Ya know.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE

And, oh the excitement of the weekend. Okay, so how cool is this. Saturday morning Matt and I start gymnastics. We have been practicing sommersaults (by we I mean he does them and I cheer him on).
And then in the evening I'm going to a birthday party for my friend from high school. I know - weird, that I still have friends from highschool I guess. But, she decided to throw a party. I'm kind of looking forward to it. And, of course how could I not be catching a ride to a high school friend's house with Greg. Of course I am. Except, I will point out that Greg is not driving me due to my lack of driver's license, but because he lives further. And he always drives. And, maybe because he is a little afraid for me to drive. Come to think of it, I don't know if I have ever driven Greg anywhere. Hmmm ...
Whatever. Old times. Good friends. Much to talk about and catch up on. In like 2 years I think it will be our 10th highschool reunion. Ahhh! Now that is a scary thought (and HA to those of you old people who have already had your tenth reunion).

Hope you enjoyed Random Friday. Thoughts? Don't worry. You can say what you really think. I can take it.

PS Is everyone enjoying the linking action??? I finally figured it out. And, I also updated my links on the side. I know - welcome to the 21st century.

Date Night with the Cousins

I just got home from a fun and exhausting evening.
Since Mike had originally planned to go out tonight, I decided to bring Matt to McDonald's. And, since I was bringing Matt I decided to surprise him and invite his cousin. My sister was in on it too and surprised Kyla so surprises all around.
In the car I told Matt we were going to McDonald's and then I said "who do you want us to bring with us."
He shouted "Kyla" at the top of his lungs. So, I just said okay. I went home to change, and then we go to their house, slightly before them so that we could surprise Kyla. (the fact that I almost gave my brother in law a heart attack when he saw someone opening his door is totally irrelevant).
So, Kyla was excited and Matt was excited and off we went.
Now, I'm not saying I'm planning a second child. But, I will say this. Taking two children to McDonald's is way easier than just one. Why? Cause they play.
So, it was fun.
Both kids are into this thing where they pretend they are someone else. So, I was Becky then Kayla then Madison then Grandma. And they were each other. Then they were brother and sister and then they were twins.
And, Matt kept saying "I'm Kyla's Brudda" with this hilarious accent. I loved it!
At one point Kyla said to me that she wanted dessert. She suggested that Matt have ice cream and she have apples since she can't have ice-cream. Only sherbet.
And, being the ambitious mother/aunt that I am I proclaimed "Licks has sherbet!!!!" and proceeded to announce to the kids that we would go to Licks for ice cream and sherbet after the PlayLand.
Crap. Forgot to check with my sister and brother-in-law who have a somewhat tighter sugar policy in their home.
It was fine.
We were on.
So, we played in the Playland. Thank goodness there was no puking this time.
Then we went to Licks. Yum yum. If you are trying to eat healthy and not over indulge I highly recommend the Cotton Candy ice cream. Kids love it and trust me, one bite and you do not want anymore.
And, since Licks is next door to Chapters the kids wrangled their way into Chapters where we played with the Thomas Table forever. I was Harold the Helicopter. It was fun. Usually halfway into playing with the kids I forget that I am not in the privacy of my own house and I get way too into the game. And then I realize (too late) that other parents are looking at me like I have lost my mind completely. This happened tonight when I perfected the noise for Harold the helicopter and then he took a nose dive under the table. I looked up and there was a father staring down at me.
Seriously. I spend all day at least trying to be mature (yes, I know I don't always succeed, but at least I can pretend when I need to). So in the evening a little levity is just fine.
And then on the way out (finally, after reading several books) we decided to buy my sister a treat - a decaf Starbucks. Why? I don't know. Cause we love her.
So, we were in line. And waiting and waiting. And Matt announced he wanted chocolate milk. And then Kyla wanted her special chocolate milk (soy.) So, of course I said yes. Why not.
In her ultra serious voice Kyla said, and I kid you not, "You should probably call my mommy to ask her about this one, Aunt Laural. You've given me lots of sugar tonight."
Of course, I pointed out to her that I really was allowed to give her this, and suggested she just have a couple of gulps and leave the rest for morning. Phew.
And, finally we made it home. Exhausted. All of us.
Except my sister. Because her coffee wasn't really decaf. It was caffeinated. JUST KIDDING!!!
Actually, it turns out Matthew is not nearly as tired as I am because he just came running downstairs. So, it's off to fight the bedtime fight. Again.
And tomorrow he starts swimming lessons! Yippee!!!!

PS In answer to the pilates teacher thing - it's the girl who played Felicity on Road to Avonlea. Gemma something???

What If ...

What if you you found out that someone you admired as a child - like about age 10 - taught pilates around the corner from you.
And what if your sister and her best friend (who you also really like) asked you to go to these pilates classes with you.
What would you do???
If you were me you would sign up on the spot.
Why?
Why not.
Of course I'm not going to say who this celebrity is. Trust me - unless you are a fan of the CBC you probably may not know who she is. And, given that she's teaching pilates in suburbia, she probably isn't overidden by crazed fans.
But back to my sister and her friend.
I figure there are 2 main reasons that they want me to do these semi-private pilates classes.
The first reason - cost. It's $75 per hour but you can divide it 3 ways.
The second reason - my lack of fear. See, they have a ton of paraphenalia from this show, and they want to have it signed. I think they also may want to get autographed pictures. And let's be honest - I have no qualms about approaching people and professing my complete love of them. (Do we remember when Donnie Wahlberg was shooting a movie outside the building and I threw my coffee at a VP in order to meet him. And this complete lack of embarrassment goes way back: Kurt Browning, Phantom of the Opera, Marilyn Dennis ...)
And so I have been wrangled in.
Why?
Cause I love them.
I do.
However, I HATE pilates. I've done it. It hurts my ab muscles. And, did I
mention I have a tailbone injury that I don't want to aggravate. Maybe I can convince them that I could just watch them pilaticize while I cheer them on. Or maybe I will just be the fall guy, the person who truly sucks in our threesome and I'll make my sister and her friend look good.
Okay, so below a hint on who this celebrity is ....

Workin' It Out

So it's January.
And, having gone completely off the Weight Watchers bandwagon since we moved I have decided to recommit.
And part of this was joining a gym. Yep. Me and every other overweight woman in the world joined a gym. But, why not. The one near me is cheap, quiet and convenient. I also (as if everyone can't tell) need a little me time.
Lately this me time has been spent shopping. But, that is getting expensive. And there is no point in spending money on clothes if I just dwell on my flaws. So, it's off to the gym for me. I don't intend to go overboard. Just some treadmill and maybe some classes. I'm not a gym rat. Not at all. But, as I have matured I've learned that working out my way (i.e. listening to music and blocking out music) is actually relaxing. And I like myself more. And so that's a good thing.
Plus, I've been sick for a month. And, I want to kick that.
Now, in all fairness it's not like I gained 5 million pounds over Christmas. I still fit my clothes and all of that. And, no kidding, my boss came in today and said "Wow! The holidays were good to you and you didn't gain any weight at all!" (see, this is why my boss is cool. I loved that!)
But in all honesty, the way I work is that when I'm eating well I exercise. When I go to the gym and see that an hour on the treadmill basically burned off the apple I ate in the morning I stop eating all the junk. I make the connection that I need to eat healthy.
The chips and cookies that have made their way back on to my shelves are making me realize that I'm not making that connection. The fact that I was afraid to weigh myself this morning - also a good sign that I'm out of control.
Before I got married I had the world's coolest trainer, Brian. I loved this guy because he was cool and laid back and basically knew exactly how to push me without annoying me. We used to always discuss my bizarre concepts of eating and exercising (in between lunges.) He's the one who actually drilled into my mind that if you fall off the bandwagon there is always tomorrow. So, Brian, wherever you are, I'm back on the bandwagon. And I have a new trainer.
Too bad he quit being a personal trainer to go fix computers!!!!
Anyway ...
My point is, new year new body. Or at least new year, back to the gym. Back to routine. But, I figure that I will want to wear a bathing suit this summer so I better lose some of the extra icky weight.
And speaking of resolutions, in addition to the jewellry resolution (which is going very well!) I had made another resolution. See, at work I have a tendency to call the help desk a LOT. Honestly, I feel like I am always calling. So, I did kind of resolve not to call as often. Every other day or less.
I went a full week without calling once. And then today happened. I called so many times I was afraid they would start blocking my calls. (I already got in trouble once for calling help desk people directly rather than going through the help desk). But, seriously, today was ridiculous. At least I made the effort not to call so much, right?? Right. Tomorrow no calls at all.
Okay.
Time to put Matty to bed. We're going with a little later bedtime. We'll see how that works.

Church

We went to church today.
We had sort of been talking about it, but Matthew has been asking us since Christmas, and we figured that if a child is asking to go to church you should probably go. So, we got up nice and early and headed to the 9am service. (we would have been up anyway, but maybe not showered and dressed).
It went pretty well. Matthew loved it. Seriously. He kept running around shouting "I love church. Church is fun".
It was pretty impressive. Someone actually greeted us when we came in and took us to the room for Matt. He was in the toddler program, and it's a great Sunday School room. They had amazing toys, there were tons of kids his age, and the person running it was really helpful.
And, then on our way to the sanctuary we walked past the kids' service. Now, this is pretty neat. They actually have a church service, with music and stuff for kids (I'm guessing ages 4-12). And, seriously, the kids were rocking out when we walked past.
Our service was pretty upbeat too. Lots of music, people seemed friendly and the service wasn't painfully long.
So, do we keep going?
It's been a really long time since I've gone to church religiously. (ha ha - get it?) I grew up going to church every Sunday. To make a long story short, the church I went to for a really long time had a major major split, they fired the pastors, and about half the congregation left. And, as a very vocal 17 year old, I stood up at the final church meeting, and basically told off all the deacons at the church. I wasn't exactly welcome to return to that church EVER.
If you want to talk screwed up by religion, I'm the person to call. It was horrible and not something I ever want to re-live.
It's also not something that I want to expose my son to.
Though granted most churches don't split up like that, and most 17 year olds aren't in the position to tell the leadership of an entire church that they don't know how to run a church.
But this is what was running through my mind while my angelic toddler was demanding to go to church.
So, what now? Where do we go from here?
Matthew loved Sunday School. Like really loved it. So we'll probably go back. But, I do know that for now I'm not getting over-involved. To steal a blogging term, I'm going to be a lurker. I'm going to sit behind the scenes and I'm going to watch. And, contrary to my extremely social nature I'm not going to join everything. If there is a church social committee I'm most definitely not going to join it.
But, after Sunday School his cousins came over. And let me tell you. Sunday school did not rub off enough. He was pushing and shoving, and, well, being a two-year old boy.
So ...
As for church. We'll see. I'm not ready to commit yet. But we'll go again. And maybe I'll get used to the idea of it.
So, I'm curious ...
Does anyone have any opinions of kids and religion?

Longest Questionnaire Ever!

I'm not tagging anyone because I don't think I will ever finish this. Thanks, Erin! Glad my blog entertains you. Anyway, here are 100 questions that I have answered. I don't know why. So much to learn about me.

1. How old will you be in five years? 33

2. What month is your birthday? May

3. How tall are you? 5'2.5

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks? Sadly, the Monster Truck Jam (I know!)

5. Last person you ate with? Matt and Mike

6. Who is the last person you called? My mom

7. Who was the last person to call you? Board Chair. And, oops ... I hung up on him (he has sense of humour thankfully).

8. What are you wearing? jeans and a black sweater and a lacy pink tank top and cool pink bracelets

9. Do you prefer call or text? depends on the person - text is fine

10. Do you have any pets? 1 cat

11. What were you doing at 2am last night? snuggling with Matty

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced? married

13. When is the last time you saw your mom? Tuesday

14. what color are your eyes? blue

15. What time did you wake up today?5:22 am

16. What's the last song you sang? Shake it Baby Shake it - with Matt

17. What's your favorite Christmas song? Away in a Manger

18. Where is your favorite place to be? surrounded by friends/family/Matt

19. Where is your least favorite place to be? The dentist

20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere? Disney Cruise

21. Where do you think you'll be in 10 yrs? Who knows

22. Do you tan or burn? Usually burn - I wear a lot of sunscreen

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?I thought someone would break into our house

24. What was the last thing that made you laugh? Really hard? Probably Lisa yesterday when she was coming up with birthday gifts for Mike.

25. How many TVs do you have in your house? two but right now only one works

26. Who do you miss most? Susie and Ginny and Salina. All in different ways.

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer? Both plus a blackberry

28. Do you sleep with or without clothes on? With

29. What color are your sheets? Navy Blue

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? two

31. What is your favorite season? spring

32. What do you like about fall? that it isn't winter

33. What do you like about winter? snow - oh wait ... what snow?

34. What do you like about the summer? holidays

35. What do you like about spring?my birthday! (May 20th mark your calendars)

36. How many PROVINCES have you lived in? one

37. How many cities/towns have you lived in? 4

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet? shoes

39. Are you a social person? Ummm ... yep!

40. What was the last thing you ate? a cheese string

41. What is your favorite restaurant? Probably the Keg or Il Fornello

42. What is your favorite ice cream? Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie

43. What is your favorite dessert? Trifle

44. What is your favorite kind of soup? Broccoli Cheddar

45 What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich? strawberry

46. Do you like Chinese food? For sure

47. Do you like coffee? Can't live without it!

48. How many glasses of water a day do you drink? not enough

49. What do you drink in the morning? coffee (times 3)

50. Would you rather sleep with someone else or alone? someone though to be honest I could go for a quiet night alone going to bed early and sleeping in late - without being woken up.

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed? yep - the right side if I am on my stomach, left side if I'm on my back. How do you answer this question???

52. Do you know how to play poker? kind of

53. Do you like to cuddle? yep

54. Have you ever been to the USA? yes

55. Do you have an addictive personality? Yes

56. Do you eat out or at home more often? home

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you? yes 2 people, butI don't really talk to them anymore

59. Do you want kids? I have one

60. Do you speak (know) any other languages? French - and Dora has been teaching me some spanish (vamanos)

61. Have you ever gotten stitches? Yes - in my head and also when I had Matt

62. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? yes but I was unconscious

63. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool? pool

64. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seats? window

65. Do you know how to drive stick? I wish!

66. What is your favorite thing to spend money on? Clothes, shoes, stuff for Matt

67. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7? my wedding ring

68. What are your favorite TV shows? America's Next Top Model, House, BT,Ugly Betty

69. Can you roll your tongue? yes

70. Who is the funniest person you know? I know way too many. The first person I thought of was my Uncle Brian.

71. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? No - there's no room in our bed!

72. What is the main ring tone on your phone? A really annoying bleeping sound that I hate.

73. Do you still have clothes from when you were little? No

74. What color are your bedroom walls? a dark dusty rose pink which I don't like

75. Do you turn off the water while you brush your teeth? no

76. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? open so Matt can find us in the night.

77. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees? Bees

78. Do you flirt a lot? I've been told I do, but it's just my sweet nature. It's not on purpose

79. What do you dip a chicken nugget in? honey, though I just watched SuperSize me (a few years after the fact) and I'm avoiding it

80. What is your favorite food? Love Mars bars, homemade lasagna and a good cheddar cheese

81. Can you change the oil on a car? No. I can't imagine wanting to either

82. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket? No - but parking tickets seem to follow me

83. Have you ever run out of gas? yes - and I didn't know what happened so I called a tow truck

84. What is your usual bedtime? 9/9:30. But, I would happily go to bed at 8.

86. Do you read the newspaper? yes - I have five newspapers on my desk daily - and I can usually tell you the headlines.

87. Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Today's Parent, Redbook and Mike gets Model Railroader. I also read my moms' Chatelaine and I should have a subscription to Cosmo and Glamour and I want to also get Toronto Life

88. Best comedian? Not so into comediens but I LOVE Ellen and Rosie who both used to be comedians. I went to see Jerry Seinfeld once and I was totally disappointed

89. Do you watch soap operas? No

90. Do you dance in the car? Of course I do - and I sing. And if Matt or Kyla is in the car we blast Raffi and I do duck impersonations. It's impressive. I also went through a big baby sign language phase when I tried to sign songs in the car. I kind of gave up on that.

91. What's something people might not know about you? That I never mini golf or curl because of childhood incidents. Someday I may tell the curling story.

92. Do you prefer silver or gold? Silver

93. First thing on your to do list? Go grocery shopping

94. Coke or Pepsi? diet pepsi

95. How often are you on myspace? never

96. Do you have any bad habits? eating too much, biting my nails, socializing too much

97. Are you a romantic? Yep

98. Crayons or markers? markers

99. Weirdest pet you've owned? I adopted an injured gerbil from PetSmart and named her Kobe. But I'm not a rodent person and she started to freak me out so I gave her to the kids I used to babysit. The poor gerbil limped. It was pretty funny. I still have the cage and ball if anyone wants it let me know - no charge! Or maybe I'll buy matt a hamster this weekend (but rodents freak me out except hamsters don't have tails. We'll see. Mike will KILL me)

100. Are you waiting for something or someone? Not really.

Taming a Toddler ...

Lately we have been having bedtime wars with Matthew. Basically, Matthew has decided that 8pm is not a good bedtime. In his books 10 pm is more like it. There are a couple of problems with this.
The first is that the later he stays up the crankier he is in the morning. (obviously) And, as much as I get annoyed with him at night when he refuses to sleep or when he hops out of bed a zillion times, I feel horrible having to get him up in the morning. He's so sleepy. And, I don't think he really understands when we try to tell him that he's tired because he didn't go to bed when we told him to.
The second problem is that I really need some sort of a break in the evening. Last night, for instance, he actually fell asleep later than I did. I can kind of blame the cold/sinus pills for that, but still. But, it's exhausting. Between work, commuting and coming home to a toddler I'm exhausted. And I really enjoy the time I have - even if it's just an hour of tv - before I go to bed and then start the cycle all over again.
Ideas anyone?
Part of me thinks that we're not entertaining him enough when he gets home. It's so easy to turn on Treehouse and let him watch while we chill a bit/make dinner, relax.
Plus, to be fair, I think I do need to play with him more.
So when we got him Mike put on dinner and I went and played toys with him. And then at bathtime we played with his toys and did make believe stuff (I was Kyla, he was Becky ALL NIGHT - funniest line ever "Becky needs a bath now. She's very dirty. Her hair is sticky" funny.)

But, I found myself laughing and having fun, and believe it or not destressing a little bit.
And, wonder of wonders, just before 8pm we tucked him in. And he didn't get up once - at least until 2 am when he climbed into our bed. But, when I got him up this morning he was a totally happy fun child.
I think we need to change our routines.
And, now for Kyla, a picture of your cousin in his new towel from Erin and Gracie.

Does this look like a sleepy child?

I'm Sick

For the last month I've been whining about being under the weather. My throat hurts. My nose hurts. I don't feel well.
I'm not a sick person in general, and having this cold stick around for a month has been driving me insane. I've spent a fortune on throat lozenges and nasal products all to no avail. Honestly, it's driving me mad.
But when my sinuses started to hurt I threw in the towel and went to a Walk-In clinic, as did apparently half of Burlington. There was a line-up just to register and then the very ample waiting room chairs were all full. It was daunting, but it turned out that many of the people there came as full families, so it wasn't as bad as I thought.
An hour later (not bad) I saw a doctor.
I felt like a total dork "ummmm ... I have a cold and it won't go away."
He kind of laughed, and then he said "you don't get sick that often do you?"
Anyway, he started doing this weird tapping thing to my face and when tears came to my eyes he quickly diagnosed me with sinusitis. And, then for good measure looked at my throat and exclaimed, honestly exclaimed "you have laryngitis! You are a trooper."
Well, trooper that I am I left with a couple of prescriptions. And, at least the knowledge that I am not crazy. I'm just sick.
Don't worry friends at work. I checked. I'm not contagious. Apparently the contagious stuff would have happened like a month ago. Now it's just lingering.
Oh, and ... I went to Shoppers to get my prescription. And, they gave me a pager, like at restaurants, so I could wander the store and then come back when the pager went off. This, I tell you, was fantastic for entertaining not only me but Matthew. He was pretty excited. And, it was cool.
And, on the Shoppers note I took my blood pressure - 140 over 72. It said it is high. Weird. But maybe it's cause Matt was sitting on my lap while I did this and then started to imitate the machine which was hilarious and I started to laugh.

New Year's Resolution Continued

So today at my parents' home (they live 5 minutes away) I discovered my grandmother's jewelry box! Yay! My mom said I could have it. (Becky, if you want this though we can discuss ... don't worry)



It came filled with costume jewellry. Mostly clip on earrings. Actually, it kind of made me miss Nana. It was cool. There were some name tags that said "Dotty Rimes" which made me laugh. And then my little munchkin made me laugh harder.


Matt discovered a love of jewelry. How many two year old boys would voluntarily wear clip on earrings? I don't know.

But seriously. How adorable does it get???

Oh wait - it does get funnier!







I do hold full responsibility if my son grows up and decides to wear women's clothing and jewelry.

My New Year's Resolution

So I love New Year's Resolutions. I don't really keep them, but I always make them. Because that's the point of New Year's.
Honestly, I can't think of one serious resolution I have ever kept. I tried cutting out pop and chocolate and working out every day and eating healthy. Those are hard.
But, the one I kept really well was that I would make a concerted effort to always keep my eyebrows groomed. And, guess what? I'm still doing this 4 years later. I also one year made the resolution to keep my nails looking good. That was a few years ago. It lasted until I had my son, and then I gave up. But, I've still stuck to never having scratchy old nailpolish on my nails.
So this year I decided to come up with another AMAZING resolution.
Know what it is???
My resolution is to wear more jewelry.
Don't worry. I'm not about to rob Tiffany's. But, I am going to wear more "sugah"* (right, Beck?) I don't have as much jewelry as I would like to, but I can collect this year. And my sister, niece and mom gave me some pretty cool stuff for Christmas. So I'm set.
One of my friends at work wears jewelry all the time. She totally mixes and matches stuff that I would never even think to. And it looks awesome. So, now I will start.
The inspiration comes also from my grandmother who passed away a couple of years ago. No matter what she always wore jewelry. She had rings and broaches and necklaces and bracelets for every single occasion. She would keep all of her jewelry in this huge fishing tackle box. And when my sister and I got older we were allowed to play with it and try it all on.
So, this year I'm going to make an effort to wear jewelry. Maybe not every day. But often.
And ... now I'm off. I have the day off, and the boys are at their respective office/daycare. What am I going to do with all my time???
Well, clean, shop and maybe even nap.
I know. Jealous!!!

* when we went on a road trip to Buffalo, my friend Ketly and I were laughing at some super snazzy boots with "bling" on the stilleto heels. Becky (my sister) for some reason thought we were calling bling "sugah" - and so for the rest of the trip any time we saw anything with bling (of which there is lots in Buffalo) one of us would say "look, Becky, Sugah". Funny.

2006 - Not a Bad Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

2006 ends tonight. I was trying to write down my various New Year's Resolutions. I only came up with one. And it's sort of silly. So I decided to look back on this past year and what we've been up to.
First things first - we moved ... a lot! Since March we've lived in 3 different places: A rental apartment in Oakville, our condo in Toronto and finally our townhouse in Burlington.

(Matt at our apartment)

(This picture was taken the day we moved out of the condo for the 2nd and last time)

In between moving houses, we also had a bunch of other stuff going on. Like it or not, we entered into the wonderful world of toddlerhood with Matthew. I have to admit, I was terrified at the prospect of the terrible twos, but it hasn't been all that bad. We've definitely had our share of temper tantrums, meltdowns, etc., but this has been an amazing year. We went from having a little baby to having a kid who is fun. At 32 months he never stops talking (and singing). We know what he wants, what he likes, etc. And, the spontaneous stuff like hims saying "mommy is beautiful" (so true!) and "I love you" is so worth the temper tantrums.

Matt did a whole lot of growing this year and he had tons of new experiences. I now totally understand why parents spoil their kids. It's just so cool when you see them developing new interests and fun ideas. I'm so guilty of this. Like, when I discovered that Matthew liked rides, I felt compelled to take him both to the CNE and Canada's Wonderland.
For the record, though this was taken at the CNE, we far preferred Canada's Wonderland. It turns out to be way cheaper, it seems much safer, and the stuff for kids is a million times better.
The CNE, though cool, paled in comparison. I really think Matt's favourite thing of the day was the streetcar ride to and from the CNE.
Matthew loved taking the TTC not only to the CNE but also to his daycare at Yonge and Davisville. He was so proud that he could tell everyone we went to Eglinton Station and Davisville Station.
It amazes me what this kid has learned this year. For instance, the other day he was washing his hands and kept saying he wanted some "Agua". Thank goodness this happened at my parents' home where my dad was able to explain that he was asking for water. It's scary when your toddler can speak in a language you don't understand.
Personally, it's been a pretty big year for me too. Just before Mother's Day this year I went to my doctor who told me that I was in a crappy place physically. She was pretty understanding. I'd had a crappy first year with Matt, went back to work, moved twice (at this point) and was just generally stressed. But, when she weighed me and tested my blood pressure we decided that I should probably lose some weight.
And lose weight I have. I've lost a little over 30 pounds (pre-Christmas, that is) and feel better about myself. I have a ways to go - like 20 pounds or so - but that's coming. And, I plan to push harder in the New Year.


You can see the difference a few pounds makes.
And, that's my friend and former neighbour Ginny blowing bubbles.




I also went on an amazing trip for work. In July I went with the Board and Senior Staff to Alberta. It was the longest I'd been away from Matthew. It was a learning experience for me. It was fun and hard and rewarding - everything that you are looking for in a good experience. I missed my boys more than I had expected too. Someone told me that it's a pretty amazing experience coming home and seeing your child after you've been away for awhile. It's true. The minute I saw Matt I burst into tears (as did he).
I have to say - this is one of the most beautiful pictures ever. It was taken at a golf course. You can see the background of the mountains behind us. In case you were wondering, the woman next to me is my boss.
In addition to my excitement of the year, Mike's year was interesting too. He turned the big 3-0 in January. I had a surprise party with some of his friends which was pretty fun. He also switched jobs in December. So, pretty busy.
My nieces also did a whole lot of growing up. Miss Kyla is now a four-year old. We had a blast at her Princess Party in July where I made a special guest appearance as "Aunt Princess Laural". It was pretty adorable, and I still can't believe I led several preschoolers in a little dance routine in the middle of Jack Astors!!!
My other niece Paige - seriously. She was such a baby for so long and then suddenly she blossomed into a child. She no longer is content to watch Matty and Kyla play. She wants to get right in on the action. She is tiny but feisty. Matt often knocks her down in his excitement and she just bounces right up to keep playing.
I have a feeling that as the cousins get older Matt and Paige will be running around and playing tag while Kyla and I play Barbies and do our nails. (we can dream, right?)














Kyla (on the left of Princess Laural) Paige - hamming it up with uncle Mike

And, of course, the recap of our year would not be complete without some pictures of the best place in the world - Vermont!!!
















So, from my and my family - I hope you had a wonderful 2006 and I hope you have an even better 2007!
Thanks for reading and commenting and sharing in the excitement of my life.

Happy 2007!!!!

Let There Be Light!

The power in our house has been restored.
It is no easy feat finding an electrician. Over the Christmas holidays that is.
The ones that are working are charging a lot - double to triple their regular fees.
So, we stuck it out with the candles for quite awhile. In fact, it was kind of cool having a bath with candle light. Actually, I didn't. I showered to candle light.
It wasn't that the lack of light was bugging me. It's just that I kept burning myself when I would light the candles.Ouch!
And I was getting worried that Matt would touch a candle or set a fire. The possibilities were endless. Not to mention how annoying it is to get up at 5:22 am with no light and try to find a lighter to light a candle.
So, I called around. And, after exhausting an internet search of possible electricians, and finally securing an appointment for next Wednesday (which would have required me to take a day off) I turned the the newspaper.
And I found Steve.
he had a teeny tiny add in the paper, and I hoped that meant a good rate. I called, he offered me a free quote. He was hired.
So he came over today.
He had a small tool kit, and said very little. But he was nice and friendly and seriously fixed the problem in about 15 minutes. I think he felt badly when he charged me $50. It was that quick. But, hey, I was expecting it to be about $250 - and we had no idea how to fix it. So, then I was about to give him a cheque, but I decided that no, perhaps he would prefer cash.
So there we were. Him delighted with the cash and the quick job. Me delighted with how cheap it all was. We were both grinning. I almost hugged him. Almost.
Instead I wished him a happy New Year, offered him some cookies (he said no - I think I scared him) and then he left.

The Christmas Holidays that Aren't

Don't worry.
I'm not feeling sorry for myself. Really. I'm not.
It's just that I'm wishing I'd taken a little more Christmas Vacation. Actually, that's not completely true. I think I'm jealous of my son.
See ...
My dad is a principal and so he is on vacation. And he and my mom have been taking Matthew out of daycare (not for the full day) to do fun things.
Like yesterday they picked him up early and went to the playgroud.
Today they are taking him skating.
Which is awesome. I love that I have parents who will do this. And, I love that I have a daycare that is cool with Matt's grandparents picking him up.
But, I'm kind of jealous. I want to be skating today. And leaving early to watch Oprah. And going shopping. Fun stuff.
But, it's been not so bad at work. I've made a concerted effort to take lunch - and today I'm going with some friends who I never get to go for lunch with. And we're going to the snazzy salad restaurant (okay, one BFAW and I are going, the other is getting her usual Teriyaki - but we will sit together). So it's not all bad.
I just feel like Christmas this year was way too short.
Maybe next year we'll go on a Disney Cruise. That sounds super fun!!!!

Cousins ... Friends

Great Grandad

My maternal grandfather is 96. You'd never guess if you saw him. But it's true. He's in pretty good health (considering)and still lives on his own.
We don't see him that often. He doesn't live too far. It's just that his place is set up for an elderly gentleman, and I have a very active toddler. And I had a very active baby. Whenever I've brought Matt to visit his Great Grandad he's torn the place apart in a matter of minutes. He would throw the knick knacks, eat the cords, shuffle the papers.
It made it hard to have a visit of more than 5 minutes. So, it's been awhile.
But then yesterday happened. My active toddler was a loving little boy. I'm not sure if he'd been mellowed by all the morning's excitement or if he is just calming down a bit, but yesterday's visit with his great grandad was fantastic. They chatted. They played. Grandad showed Matt a camera and Matt was thrilled. Grandad also showed Matt his collection of elastics. And we were there for an hour.
(Note: If you want to entertain a toddler, elastics are an incredibly effective method)
Really, we could have stayed longer, but we had to get to Mike's parents' place.
To me, this was a pretty huge deal. My grandad is a cool guy with a ton of life history (you accomplish a lot in 96 years) and I really want Matt to know him. And, finally I see that maybe they will find something in common.

Santa Came!!!

Just a few pictures before we're off to see Mike's family and my grandad.
Since I was up nice and early (5:30) and had 2 hours before I finally woke the boys up I decided to celebrate with my cat. Seriously. I dressed her up in a Santa jacket. And took pictures. She wasn't too keen on the look. She just sat there. I think she was too scared to move.
Thank goodness Matt got up so that I could go Christmas crazy with him and the cat was off the hook.
Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Christmas Traditions ... New and Old

This Christmas, now that Matthew understands a bit about the concept of Christmas, we have been thinking a lot about traditions. What is important to me, what is important to Mike and what we want to share with Matthew.
This is our fifth Christmas as a married couple. So, I'm not sure if that would be long enough to have that many traditions. We both come from traditions. Our combined traditions run the gammut from watching White Christmas (put on the music to "Sisters" and my sister and I will perform the routine flawlessly) to sipping rum flavoured egg nog (this is Mike's family's tradition).
But what do we have?
Well, we have our annual Christmas Eve McDonald's breakfast which Matt was thrilled to partake in this year. We have our annual trip to Starbucks arriving just after Strabucks closes. And we have established quite nicely that Christmas Day we spend at Mike's Family's home while Boxing Day is spent at my family's. These are things we do. And we love.
But there's one other thing that seems to happen to us.
Our annual Christmas Calamity.
One year I had the flu. I know we've all had it - but I am the Christmas person of the family. On Christmas Eve (with an 8 month old baby and very needy dog) I spent the morning puking and then while shopping for Mike's stocking threw up all over Shopper's Drug Mart (Thank God Mike was there, it was a store used to ill people, etc. etc. Mike ended up buying and wrapping his own stocking stuffers and still claims it was his best stocking ever!!)
Another year I had a serious feminine issue which I refuse to blog about.
Another year I was pregnant and just a little out of control due to the fact that nothing fit.
This year's Christmas calamity? We have lost power to half of our house. No. Not kidding. There are no lights in the bathrooms, hallway or dining room. Our kitchen appliances work, but we are forced to cook in the dark. We know a fuse has been blown, but ever time we replace the fuses they just blow again (yes, everything is turned off). My dad came over to help but couldn't fix it. Mike's dad has no idea. We're clueless. We're also not calling an emergency electrician ause it's just too pricey.
So, we are sitting in the candlelight and hoping that this is the only calamity that will befall us. It could be much worse. Our whole house could be out of power. We could have lights but no appliances. My very thoughtful relatives could have decided not to give us a gigantic apple 3-wick candle as a house warming gift.
Life is good. It's Christmas. But, if anyone knows a cheap electrician in Burlington, please let me know!!!

'Tis the Season

Today is my last day of work before Christmas.
And it's a half day so life really is quite good today. Last night we did our final shopping (cookies for Matt's daycare teachers and new shoes for him since his favourite ones are literally falling apart). Tonight I will finish up some of the wrapping I have to do - and the one craft project my sister and I doing. And, then it will be time to celebrate.
What I'm loving right now, though, is Matt's appreciation for the season. He's into it. And he's getting us into it. Like last night, we were walking through the parking lot at Walmart and he kept alternating between singing Rudolph and Jingle Bells. And then he started to sing the tune of Jingle Bells, but with different words. All at the top of his lungs. And despite the fact that everyone around us was stressed by the last minute shopping, tons of people turned to smile at us. It was pretty cute.
And, once we were done at Walmart we went on a light tour. This is one of my favourite Christmas events. There's a house in Burlington that is completely adorned with lights. It's pretty amazing. It has visiting hours and everything. So we took Matt to see that house. And then we drove around looking at other light displays. I sware, people in the suburbs go crazy with Christmas lights. We noticed that on some streets there is very clearly competition. It's rather bizarre. But, fun for us to look at.
So then we went home to our single pathetic light strand. It was kind of funny. First of all, Mike has made a point that he thinks all white lights should be banned in favour of colour lights. He thinks there should be a by-law. But, all we could unearth in our Christmas boxes was a single strand of white lights. So that is our decoration. But, to us it's Christmassy since we figure we're doing quite well by at least doing something having just moved.
But, the point is we went home. To this awesome house that we have been wanting for years - which nothing ever worked together for. So, we're kind of thrilled. And we arrived home to Christmas cards, and some stuff my sister left in our mailbox (since she's 5 minutes away and can do that!!!) and I realized just how lucky we are this year. Or perhaps the word is blessed.
But whatever it is. I'm grateful.
'Tis the season everyone. Let's celebrate.
And, soon to come (i.e. when I download the pictures) I will post the pictures of Matthew's Hanukkah celebration with the dreidel a friend of mine gave us. Soon. I promise!

Christmas Cookies

In honour of Jeff's Tuesday Newsday Jeff's site and he had some cool stuff to say." I too am posting a story. Not copying you or anything. (but check out the link - I finally figured that out!)
But ...
This weekend I baked about 10 dozen buttertart bars. TEN DOZEN! Actually, it's more like 12. I have not cut them all. This is all because on Thursday of this week I am taking part in a cookie exchange ... with my BFAW's.
And then later in the week (date not set) I'm exchanging cookies with my family. That way we will all have lots of fun and entertaining Christmas cookies.
But the stress, people. The stress!
It sounded so fun. Until Matt decided to help me. Ever tried to bake 144 bars with a two year old? The recipe (for all the batches) took 24 eggs. Matthew loves cracking eggs. Actually, he did quite well at cracking them. Better than I could have. But, the point is that it is no easy feat.
But I did it. And I was proud. I still need to cut them. But I was pretty darn proud.
And then yesterday I read this. (below). It's funny. I enjoyed it. I hope you do too.

---

Arts & Life
Recipe for disaster: What was once meant to be a time-saving tradition between friends has turned into snarky competition: The dark side of the cookie exchange
Anne Marie Owens
National Post
1173 words
18 December 2006
National Post
National
AL1
English
(c) 2006 National Post . All Rights Reserved.
It was the day before the annual cookie exchange party when Christine Metcalfe decided the cookies she'd made didn't exactly match the size or the pale pink patina of the ones in the Gourmet magazine recipe and she began to bake all over again.
"Everything looks so easy when you see it on the TV or when you see Martha, but then it comes out and it doesn't quite look the same," she said. "I’m not a baker, but you want them to be beautiful."
As a result of this imperfection, she brought to her friend's party an assortment of five dozen baked goods, each cellophane-wrapped seasonal plate containing a mixed dozen of the raspberry- chocolate sandwich cookies, Christmas-tree cutout cookies and a marshmallow-chocolate confection so perfectly formed it looked as if it had come from a high-end bakery.
This Sunday night cookie exchange in Burlington, Ont., is convened by a woman who calls herself a "cookie party bitch," because after years of bringing home dozens of shoddy baked goods and choking back cookies she knew she would never serve to guests, she now secretly invites a select few she is confident can bake up to the standard she requires for holiday entertaining.
Midway through the evening's small, hand-picked party, she brings out one of the cookies she received in the cookie exchange she attended with workmates a few days earlier and makes everybody take a nibble of a plain-looking, decidedly untasty confection.
This is the dark side of the cookie exchange: Gossip-fuelled tasting sessions; covert cookie exchanges; cookie party bitches.
Billed as an efficient way of meeting all holiday baking needs in one fell swoop by having people each bake several dozen of the same thing and then swapping with everyone attending the party, the cookie exchange has emerged as a holiday-season solution for the busy working woman trying to do it all.
But the cookie exchange is no panacea. Some have standards so high that participants stay up all night trying to find the perfect recipe and spend a fortune on what amounts to a high-stakes bake-off; at others, the playing field is so lopsided that ample-sized, home baked goods are swapped for burnt gingerbread or brownies the size of quarters; and in some, the unofficial competition to exceed extends beyond the quality of the baked goods to the way they are packaged, making the practical, plastic-wrapped dozen seem an inferior trade to a multi-ribboned offering.
"I remember walking into [my host's] beautifully decorated home and stopping dead in my tracks as I saw all the cellophaned, beribboned cookie plates," recalls one Mississauga, Ont., mother, who immediately burst into tears when she arrived at her first neighbourhood cookie exchange lugging a bag full of large Tupperware containers rather than individually wrapped gems such as those laid out in her neighbour's front room.
Until that moment, the 42-yearold was proud she'd been able to pull off such a domestic feat in between juggling the conflicting demands of her high-powered, full-time job and the hectic schedules of her two teenaged children -- even though it meant staying up for most of the night, finally packing the goodies into containers at 3 a.m. before the 9 a.m. exchange; even though it meant an earlier breakdown in her kitchen when the shortbread recipe -- "It was kitchen tested!" she insists -- produced much fewer than promised and ended up having to be cut into portions as small as quarters.
"I think I must have some internal need to prove that I am indeed a supermom. No matter how much I work, or how much money I make, I have to be a baker too," says the woman, who like the "cookie-party bitch," does not want her name used for fear it will forever cut her ties with her cookie-swapping set, no matter how fraught the annual obligation.
Rather than aid the busy, time-strapped mother, the cookie exchange actually explains everything about the conundrum of the modern mother who really does, despite the evidence, believe she can do it all -- working full time, whipping up unbelievably perfect confections and beaming broadly when greeting the season's guests with goodies that are home-baked, not bought.
Those caught up in such things blame Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson and all the other domestic goddesses who have elevated the art of home entertaining to unbelievably high standards, but others say it is modern motherhood that is to blame.
Susan Douglas, who co-authored the book, The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined Women, has not had much experience with cookie exchanges, but says, "Whatever it is, it sure sounds like yet more work for mothers."
Her book, which blames the unrealistic celebrity version of domestic life for the modern climate of competitive mothering, describes it as "the Martha Stewartization of America, in which we are meant to sculpt the carrots we put into our kids' lunches into the shape of peonies." Her book is meant as a rallying cry for women to say, without feeling like bad mothers, "No, I'm not baking you 40 blueberry muffins at 10 o'clock at night so you can bring them in for snack tomorrow. We'll go to the store tomorrow to buy something."
In the case of the cookie exchange, food-related Web sites and magazines only perpetuate this image of domestic perfection and efficiency. On the Chefs Web site ( www.chefs.com ), Penny McConnell describes the cookie exchange or cookie swap as "a holiday ritual that's easy to organize, fun to host and handles my entire cookie needs in two or three short hours." According to the Kraft Web site, "Everyone goes home with a great assortment of home-baked cookies for the holiday season! And all they had to do is bake one kind! … The idea of 'many hands make light work' surely applies when it comes to a cookie exchange!"
Even the blogosphere, where one might expect to find the candid tell-alls dished out by veterans of the cookie exchange, raises the domestic standards bar ever higher, showing pictures of beautiful baked goods, adorned with hand-crafted recipe cards and wrapped, by the dozen, to perfection.
"You can't help but set your sights high," says Metcalfe, who admits that each year she spends a fortune on the cookies she bakes and all the various baking equipment required for her once-a-year contribution to this domestic art.
"I think that now, you have to be the mother, the wife, the cookie-baking lady."

A Week Away - Hooray!

The Christmas Spirit is hitting me! I'm so excited.
We're a week away from the big day and I couldn't be more excited. This year is pretty cool for us since we finally have a child who is understanding Christmas. He's loving the excitement and the presents and the stories of Santa. He gets really excited when we go to the mailbox and there are cards - especially ones for him.
I'm not really sure he understands that he will be getting presents. He knows Santa is cool, but he doesn't quite get the concept.
For instance, the other day I asked him how Santa was getting to our house. He told me that Santa would be on a snowboard and all his presents would be on the TTC. (with the reindeers going to Eglinton Station).
He just seems pretty excited about the fun stuff going on. And I'm loving that.
Of course, we are in gift shopping panic. I made a list and a budget and diligently followed it until I started wrapping and decided that we had not bought enough. So, sadly, I'm off shopping again. I finally sorted out my sister's gift. I think I'm done Mike's gift. I'm not sure that I've done enough for my in-laws. And I think my mom needs some more stuff.
I have to say, my mom and my sister are the hardest to buy for. I always want to get nice stuff, but it's hard to get the perfect things.
The other thing I'm totally looking forward to is Thursday night. Every year since I can remember my dad and I have gone "Christmas Eve Shopping". It's a tradition I love. My dad has always been a last minute guy when it comes to Christmas. And he is utterly convinced, or at least was, that the best deals are the 'flashing blue light specials' on Christmas Eve. No kidding. Kmart used to do this and we'd get some good stuff.
Kmart is no more, and I'm not convinced that there are still deep discounts in the days leading up to Christmas, but the tradition continues. We've moved it up by a few days, but we still do it.
We've had some momentous Christmas Eve shops. Probably the funniest was when we wandered around Dixie Outlet Mall when I was visibly pregnant. My dad is a super shopper, and can seriously power shop. He must have bought me 5 bottles of juice to keep me going. It was pretty funny. In the end we cut the day short and went to Jack Astors. Still it was fun.
This year I'm actually pretty good for gifts, so we will be covering a couple of key areas - stocking stuffers for the kids and stuff for my mom.
I'm the unofficial fashion guru when it comes to my mom's Christmas gifts. My mom prefers that stuff he buys meets my approval. That way we avoid fashion disasters on Christmas morning like the charming Santa Sweaters, baggy track pants, etc.
We usually start the evening off with dinner out. We are currently debating between Kelsey's and Swiss Chalet. My suggestion of the Zellers Diner (for efficiency) was quickly declined by my dad.
This year's shop should be extra exciting due to a new Winners in the mall will be going to. I can't wait. The evening is guaranteed to be fun-filled, coffee-filled and present filled. My dad will invariably suggest gifts that I would never in a million years come up with. We'll laugh, get good deals and in the end enjoy the one father-daughter outing that we have never ever cancelled.
Anyone else in the spirit???

Old Friends

I've lived in my old neighbourhood for 2 weeks now.
In that time I've bumped into several old friends. In particular friends I went to elementary school with.
Take this morning for example. Mike and I went out for breakfast. we had been to his Christmas party the night before, and my sister took Matthew overnight. So it was just the two of us. Anyway, there we were chatting over coffee when this guy came over.
He had actually been staring at me for a couple minutes, and it wasn't because I was looking particularly appealing or anything.
He just walked up to our table and said "excuse me, is your name Laural?"
So, of course I said yes. And he asked if I knew who he was. No, I didn't.
"I'm Billy."
Yep. Billy from sixth grade. Billy who annoyed the crap out of me, and made bizarre jokes, and thought farting in class was funny. Never, in a million years, would I have thought he would recognize me. Or, for that matter, if he did, did I think he would come say hi.
But he did, which was cool. And of course I introduced him to Mike. And showed him pictures of Matt, and then asked what he had been up to.
We chatted about our lives, who we still talk to, etc. etc. And we both agreed it was weird to see where everyone is at.
It's weird that at our late twenties some people are married with kids (like me), others are already divorcing, others are engaged, and still others feel marriage is a long way off. Hmmmm....
But, it's still weird to see so many familiar faces. We lived in Toronto for years, and I'd rarely see people over and over. But, here it has been like old home week.
I'm beginning to dress up to go to the grocery store. At the condo it was rare that I saw people I knew at the store (except my neighbours), but here it's everywhere.
Do I like it? Yep. I do

The Best Christmas Concert EVER!

Last night was Matthew's Christmas concert. It was a concert/potluck/craft evening. Very very cool.
First of all, thank you to EVERYONE who gave me ideas for our potluck item. We had totally settled on meatballs, but someone already signed up. Then Jeff gave me this awesome dinner idea, and when I went to sign up I discovered there were no desserts.
So, I went with an old standby - trifle. It was a total hit. Seriously, I was approached by a couple of people saying it was really yummy. So, yay for that. I'll post the recipe.
Anyway ...
So we got there around 6:30. We dropped the kids off in the classroom and headed down to the cafetorium for the concert. Matthew's daycare is in a highschool, hence the cafetorium. I was a little concerned because Matt was really confused about why we were leaving him again, but his super amazing teachers took care of it, brought him into the classroom and calmed him down in like 10 seconds.
We got seats, all the parents filed in, and waited a few minutes.
Pretty quickly, like within about 10 minutes, in filed the children. It was super adorable. They were all wearing reindeer ears, and they actually all filed in in a line and went right up on the stage. I, of course, was going crazy with the camera, as were most of the parents.
Serioulsy, the concert was the cutest thing in the world. They had all of the children come on the stage, and there are about 25 kids. And they led them in 4 songs - Jingle Bells, Rudolph, Up on the Housetop and finally We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
The kids all sang. Matthew was right into it. He knew all of the words, he was tapping his foot, he was standing in one spot.
I couldn't have been prouder or taken more pictures.
When they were done we all found tables and lined up for the potluck. In between lining up, eating and waiting for Santa they had tables of crafts for the parents to do with their children. We made a Rudolph ornament.
Santa arrived with, no kidding, a bagpiper, who led him around the room and played Christmas carols. Then he sat on a bench and all the kids got to sit on his lap and say hi.
The evening was over by 8pm, just in time to bring our kids home to bed.
If I wasn't happy with this daycare before, I am THRILLED with it now!
The teachers were great. The kids listened, they had fun. The parents chatted, the teachers chatted. They kept it under control, and most of all they had a lot of fun. When Santa came one of the teachers was there making sure that the kids took turns seeing Santa.
We just left feeling great. We felt like we'd made the right choice of daycare. We could see Matt is happy. We're happy.

Weird

Ever have a weird day?
Not bad. Not wonderful. Just weird.
That was my day today.
The weirdness started in the morning. When we had mini golf at work. I know. Crazy. I've never worked somewhere where you mini-putt at work.
And that - it was weird.
It was weird because I got kind of cornered into it at the last second and our little pathetic team came up with the idea of a golf hole with the general theme of Christmas.
The problem was that half of our team was sick.
None of our team was artistic.
We were all lacking in time.
And motivation.
And budget.
And we didn't have any idea people would take it so seriously.
So while we cobbled together a mini putt "hole" made out of dollar store Christmas Crap other teams created phenomenal mini putt holes. I mean phenomenal. If I get pictures I will post them. But they were awesome.
Like one team - they made this contraption out of (I hope) old computer parts. It had a proper ramp, it had a proper little green. You name it. And the guy who did it, who I happen to know is a golfer, took it very very seriously.
At one point he told me he was disappointed because it was a par 3 (I think) hole and he thought it should have been par something else.
I didn't even know that par 3 meant something.
The hole next to ours was run by the department that wins everything. They didn't exactly kick our butts. They pretty much steam rollered right over us. They, too, had a Christmas theme. Except they brought in a tree and also had some sort of contraption that they built that spit your ball out and went around a corner. They had a full size fireplace with stockings hung and this giant "Happy Holidays" sign. To clarify, they had stockings hung until I decided to take my turn and my over ambitious swing sent the stockings flying. Anyway ...
So our lovely hole. The name rocked. It was called "Ho Ho Hole in One." I know. Genius. But, it pretty much sucked.
And I was disappointed. Like almost crying disappointed. And my bronchitis inflicted friend tried to calm me down by telling me that it was just all in fun. That no one cared. That it was just a silly corporate event.
And then I kind of got upset at my friends, my BFAW's (sorry guys) becasue they didn't exactly help as much as I wanted. Nor did they help me clean up. So, up and down. Up and down. All day.
But then it was kind of nice because everyone was great in the end about it. Everyone was pretty positive. You know - at the end of the day I kind of realized I was being silly. It was just a stupid corporate event that I didn't need to be upset about.
So, you know, up down. up down.
Okay. needy toddler.