Still Here...

... just don't have much to say.

Bear with me, Emma's 36-month-update is coming. Hopefully tomorrow.

Right now I'm thoroughly annoyed that I can no longer give my child cough and cold medicine when she all of a sudden is hacking up her left lung. Even more annoying than that? I have a bathroom chest FULL of every damn Benyalin and Dimetapp that, up till a week ago, was on the market.

I wonder if there is a street price for them yet?

I'm just sayin'...

Very Quickly...

A big, and long overdue, thank you to Terri over at My 4 Kids for bestowing upon me the You Make Me Smile Award.

Thanks! You make me smile too!

I've also finally posted my second edition of annual fall shots of my kids... You can find them HERE.

And just in case you're wondering, this would be a great opportunity for you to say things to me like:

YOU'RE AWESOME!
YOU'RE BRILLIANT!
YOU SHOULD BE PHOTOGRAPHING SUPERMODELS IN PARIS!
YOU SHOULD BE A SUPERMODEL IN PARIS!

Just sayin'...

The Par-Tay Day

So my follow-up to Emma's 3rd birthday party is long overdue, I'm well aware. Thanks so much for making me feel guilty everyone... Okay, BUBBIE B. But the fact of the matter is, I'm just too damn tired to blog these days. I wish I could blame it on a faulty thyroid, but no... And it's not even lack of sleep. It's just... unruly children? No... they're great. Loud, sure. But pretty easy. Family problems? Absolutely. Oh... I dunno. Perhaps I'm just a tad whiny today. Anyhow, it's about all I can do to keep their fingers out of the electical outlets. Well, just Michael. Emma fortunately has zero interest in seeing her hair stand on end.

All that being said, I'll re-cap Emma's party quickly, and mostly by way of photos. Thank God for photos... they make wordless blogs much more worthwhile.

So I know I told you all that her party was held at a very out-of-the-way Pumpkin Farm, and that I made everyone drive way the hell out of their way so we could have an authentic Dress-Up Halloween-type bash... and that we did! Sadly, it was FREEZING outside! Just the day before it was like 80 degrees, then... BAM! Like straight down to 50. Which normally would have been quite pleasant had we just been coming OUT of winter, but this being the VERY FIRST COLD DAY of the season, made it that much colder. On the bright side, it didn't rain. And it was supposed to. That would be my glass-half-full take on the situation.

And without further adue, may I present you with Princess Emma-La:



Don't mind the Princess' unfortunate hair-do.. For some reason, Jeff took it upon himself to brush out all her curls, then put the hood on her jacket on, so she ended up with a very bad hair day. Why people without curls insist on style the hair of people with curls I'll never know... Clearly, they haven't got a clue!! Fortuntely Auntie Lori was there with her emergency hair band & piled it up in an oh-so-almost-chic messy ponytail.

Here's my little spider-boy, stuffed in a wheelbarrel:



Then, thinking he was so cute in there, I made Emma get in too. I jumped in behind and it made a surprisingly nice family shot... Okay, fine. It's a good shot of me, nevermind that neither kid is actually looking at the camera.



Take a look-see at Baby Alexandria... Can you believe the cuteness of this kid?



Here she is with her mother, my sister, aka Auntie Lori:



And some more of Michael... cuz his costume rocked my world. Seriously. It did.





Here is the honorable mention roll of some of Emma's oh-so-cute friends:

Hunter:



Madison:



Shayne:



Briar: (if I had known about this name before I named Emma Emma, I would have totally fought for it... LOVE IT! Probably doesn't hurt that she is stinkin' GORGEOUS!)



Here is Jeff, Michael, and Jeff's sister Lisa on the wagon/hay ride thing that came included in the party package. It's pretty much the only photo I took on the ride cuz it was kinda really bumpy. More just like proof that it was part of the party for future memories. Or something like that.



Michael, enjoying cake with his peeps:



And, of course, the all-important CAKE PHOTO-OP:







We decided to open presents at home. For a couple reasons, but mostly cuz when a three-year-old starts opening, and hits upon one she REALLY likes, all others get pushed to the side. Then everything grinds to a halt. And when you only have the party room for two-hours, this poses a problem... (speaking of which, next year I may need to solicit someone for their condo party room... hint, hint...)

It seems this was, once again, the Year of Dora. Clearly, Emma was disappointed.



Dora board games, colouring books, story books, and how can I forget, the FOUR FOOT TALL INFLATABLE DORA PUPPET THEATRE! Thank you Auntie Lori! Don't be surprised when I come over with a do-it-yourself-ginger bread house!

The other big theme this year was dress-up - by way of nightgowns (cuz my daughter no longer wears pajamas), dresses, tiaras, and jewlery.

Here she is moments after after opening some such gifts:



And, finally, here she is after decking herself out in an outfit that came in her new "treasure chest" of costumes. Dare I say it, but don't you think she resembles an 80-year-old hooker in Miami? I'm just sayin'...

Birthday Sneak Peek

My baby's 3rd birthday is tomorrow! Can you BELIEVE it??! Little Emma, or as some people call her, "Baby Emma" is turning THREE YEARS OLD. Granted, she's not actually turning 3 till November 2nd, but you always hold the party either the weekend before, or the weekend after. That's just how it works. Unless of course, you're born in July, then you just have it during the last week of school so that you'll have at least a few guests. Ahhh... poor Michael. Destined for a life of shitty birthdays. Sorry, bud.



But back to Emma... Since I'm the least creative person on the planet, it's a damn good thing she was born so very close to Halloween. It's like Theme In A Box. All parties from this date forward will be Halloween parties, say for one or two princess ones, and then a few sleep-overs here & there. Provided I like her friends. Cuz if they're all little shits, then I likely won't want them in my house. Again, that's neither here nor there. (I say that far too much...)

So I've planned Emma her first Halloween themed party - and it's being held at Whittamores Farm - that's right! A pumpkin farm! How fun am I?!

Unless it rains. Then I won't be fun at all. Rather, I'll be wet, and more than likely a tad miserable.

All that said... keep your fingers crossed for NO RAIN! I swear, it's like planning an outdoor wedding... without as much food. Or booze.

Shame, cuz I like me some booze.

All By My Lonesome!

Did I ever tell you people that it was my birthday a few weeks ago? Actually, it was a month ago. September 26th. Jeff asked if I wanted a spa day, a fancy dinner out, NEW SHOES (!!), blah blah blah... Thanks, but no. What did I want? A day off. Completely. A full 24 hours to park my fat ass on the sofa and watch TV. A shut-up-and-leave-me-the-hell-alone type of day.

Yes, that request was made a month ago. What did I get? Lilies. Lots & lots of lilies. My very favourite flower. Beautiful, yes. Peaceful? Sure... but only if I were ALONE with them.

And then? Three weeks ago? My inlaws came to visit from Mobile, Alabama. (Can you believe they STILL don't recycle there??!!) And they rented a cottage. TWO HOURS NORTH OF OUR HOUSE. Again, as I think I've mentioned, I'm not sure why exactly they chose to come and visit us, yet stay so very far away - but whatever. The outcome is the same. Visits, hugs, and temporary home in the country.



And the view of the "mountains" from the front door:



C'mon, people. It's still Ontario - were you really expecting Whistler?

Anyhow...

It's been three years - THREE YEARS! - since I've been completely and totally alone. Till Wednesday night. And Thursday. And again on Friday. And now, even part of today!! That's right people - Jeff and children folk have left the building! And, bonus - I didn't even have to kick them out!

Yes, people of the Internet. Jeff took the kids up to the cottage for the weekend.

AND I STAYED HOME!!!!!!!

His sister, Lisa, came in from Atlanta yesterday afternoon, and after dinner they took my truck and all headed up north. WITHOUT ME. I guess, by now, you get that point, huh?

Weird? Yes. 20 minutes after they left I called Jeff, just to tell him how errily quiet the house was. 5 minutes after that, I was enjoying a class of red wine, lying on the sofa, reading my People magazine. Cuz the only show I watch these days is Desperate Housewives and sadly it's not Sunday. (Although the only OTHER show I watch, The Office, so I get to see it to! At it's originally aired date & time! That NEVER happens!)

Now the remainder of this post is pretty much for my mother. Cuz she always thinks of "cottages" as wooden shacks. So whenever you invite her up to one, she shudders with thoughts of dock spiders and no A/C. Plus she dresses for the winter, even if it's during a heat wave in the city... Reason being? It's colder in the NORTH. That, and there's often complaints of impending nose bleeds, what with with elevation and all.

So, just to show her cottage life isn't ALWAYS so rough, here is my little video-tour.

This is the living room & main floor bedroom:


Untitled from doublea on Vimeo.

And the basement: (I already showed you pictures of the upstairs bedrooms a few posts ago...)


Untitled from doublea on Vimeo.

Ummm... is it really bad that I don't yet miss my family yet? I know I only asked for 24 hours off, and I got about 55, but truly? I could use a full week. My kids are crazy, my husband is a clean freak, and quite frankly, I'm really enjoying the peace & quiet. Is that so bad?

Selling, Selling,... SOLD!!! (but not to me)

So I've decided to try to get a little more serious about this whole photography thing that I do. I dunno... some people seem to think I'm pretty good at it, and others think I should do more to help the family out financially. Whichever, it's not like I'm gonna get rich taking photos of peoples' kids. But pocket change would be nice. And nice makes me smile. And, in the words of my very wise daughter, "it's fun to smile."

And in the tradition of me being me, a new venture correlates nicely with a reason to shop! Cuz clearly, what kind of photography could I ever hope to be without more photography stuff? C'mon people... I need gear! Gear is fun! And fun makes me smile! And Christ, my parents spent a bloody fortune on 6-plus years of braces so I should have a bee-u-ta-ful smile. And I do. So I should show it off. Ultimately, I'm buying gear to make Bubbie Barbara proud of her investment.

But I'm still responsible. So I decided used gear is okay. Like the tripod. It's just a stand, I hardly need a new one. But a good one would be nice... After all, Jeff is always telling me not to waste my money (errr, his money) on crap.

So I look in Ebay for a used Manfrotto trip. Cuz how can I ever expect to take TACK SHARP photos without a Manfrotto???!!! C'mon people. Really.

Sure enough, I find one. And it's in Toronto! (Other than Manfrotto, that was my other criteria... I'm not paying for shipping a bloody tripod from the States! Or hell, even from Barrie.)

So I write the guy...

Alissa:
Hello, I was wondering whereabouts in Toronto you are located for pick-up? Thanks.

Ebay Guy:
Counting that you are saving $90+tax from the original price in the store now, and get a BONUS of 34.95+tax in the shape of the included original Manfrotto Shoulder Bag my guess will be a cab! THX

To which I respond... (cuz, uhhh... this cab ride he's signing me up for could cost anywhere between $10 and $300 depending on WHERE IN THE VERY BIG CITY HE IS LOCATED.)

Alissa:
Seriously... whereabouts are you located? I’m in the Central GTA.

Ebay Guy:
No you can't come and pick-up anything, please make sure you are the Winning Bidder on this auction first! Instead of my whereabouts wouldn't you suppose to be worried about the outcome of the auction?! THX

Alissa:
I need to know if I should bother trying to win the auction or not. If you're not conveniently located, I'm not going to bid.

All I am asking for is an intersection. What's the big deal?

Ebay Guy:
Don't bother at all I'll put you on the Blocked Bidder list! THX

===========

Uhhh... okay.

Jeff thinks I encouraged this type of response, as my language to him was "CAUSTIC".

I think I started off asking a very simple question... Where are you located? How is this CAUSTIC???

Turns out, however, that this was a good thing cuz I've since decided to first get an external flash.

Anyone selling a used Canon Speedlight 430EX?

I'll be nice.

Really, I will.

And if not, I'll at least pay you for it.

So Y'all Are Aware...

I know I haven't been leaving any comments lately, but it's not because I haven't been reading... I HAVE, I REALLY HAVE!!!

I just COULDN'T leave comments. Even when I had something to say!

MY STUPID POP UP BLOCKER WAS ON!!!!

Sometimes I'm such a dumb-ass.

Anyhow, just got off the phone with Poison Control because Michael drank half of Emma's Fuzzy Wuzzn't Leave-In Detangler. He's fine. Just not so swift sometimes.

And that said, we're off to visit our inlaws at the cottage, while Jeff stays here and works for the weekend. Good times.

I made him cookies and burgers so he shouldn't be hungry.

Michael is Fifteen Months Old!

Hey Guys! Have you missed me much?? Yeah, seeing from my last entry, the one that generated all of TWO comments, I can feel the love! Kisses!

So, in keeping with my very late monthly recap schedule, here is Michael's 15th month update. It's gonna be short... Promise & Pinky swear.

I should probably tell you that after several years of only drinking decaf, Michael has finally persuaded me to join the ranks of the evil caf. I'm bouncing off the walls, yet I seem to be the only one actually enjoying it.

Everyone else just thinks I'm losing my mind.

Okay... maybe a little.



Let's begin, shall we?

I think he's a pretty normal, very rambunctious 15-month-old boy. Completely opposite from Emma in every way possible. Some people think he's lacking in structure, may have a little A.D.D, and is slightly out of control. What with the running up and down the halls screaming and throwing stuff, and touching, pulling, and poking everything that can indeed be touched, pulled, and poked. Including his sister. Some people also think he's running the show, that he's controlling me. I think some people are mistaken. I am not going to stifle my kid's enthusiasm for learning and exploring just so I can have a little more peace and order in my household. Okay, hopefully I'll remember to delete this part of the post as soon as some people have internet access once again! BUT... in case I don't... I really don't mind that some people feel it okay to give me their opinions, and I truly do value others' insights. Really, I do. Especially those who have been there & done it before. And have done it well, I might add. And I will listen, evaluate, and ultimately change some things, and leave others as they are.

Moving forward...



Sept 16 - he learned how to blow kisses! Except sometimes he gets a little confused and thinks that he has to put his hand to YOUR mouth and then will do the big "MMMmmmmWwwwwwwaaaahhhh!"

I'll have you know, that by early October he fully gets the art of the blow.

Sometime in Mid-Sept - Got his 10th tooth! Bottom, left side - think of where the four middle ones are, then go left, there is a space, then there is Tooth #10.



Many kids I hear about have to fall asleep next to their mother or father. Not Michael. He has to fall asleep ON his mother. Specifically ON MY FACE. Seriously. The kid, who may I remind you, is no lightweight, falls asleep with his stomach ON MY FACE. I try to move him, but then I'm just greeted with a chain of "hi's". Hi hi hi hi hi...." And as cute as this is, come midnight, not so cute. Then there's Emma... read her three, maybe four books, get a hug & a kiss, and see ya in the morning!

He now says "UP!" But it can mean anything from up to down to left to right. Who the hell really knows what he's actually talking about. But he does say it.

He seems to be getting a little punky these days. Punky? What's that? Well, I'm not totally sure what the real dictionary meaning is, but the Michael Meaning is that when he gets annoyed, and clearly the words Hi and Up don't properly work to explain his frustration, he'll just pitch whatever it is he's holding. Like if he wants more milk in his bottle, and you go and just hand him the empty one, he takes a sip only to discover there's nothing there, he'll look at you and just throw the bottle. HARD. Like with REAL FEELING. Oh My God. He's a person. A person without words. At least he's got a decent arm. If only we lived in the States, I could see myself encouraging him to go for that coveted baseball schlorship.



Oh... I should also mention that he does say MAP. Y'know, from Dora. Actually, it's more like MAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and he doesn't really realize that it's Dora-specific. Rather, just whenever the TV is on, he'll stand in front of it and scream MAAAAAAAAAAA at the top of his lungs. Funnily enough, when he wants Emma, the word sounds errily similar. Just shorter. More like Maaa Maaa.

For some reason, when Michael sees something he wants, something he MUST HAVE, he makes a straight beeline toward it. Regardless of what is between him and Said Desired Object. Like, if Emma is lying on the floor between him and, say... a truck, he'll just walk OVER her, rather than going AROUND her. Like, the normal thing to do. Sometimes she's actually okay with it. Or, more likely, she's just given up.

Is it really necessary to tell you how he's fascinated by all things boy? Like his package, the seatbelt part of his carseat, the seatbelt of his stroller, the seatbelt in his highchair, his poo... A.D.D my ass.

Relaxxxxx......

I'll be with you shortly.

But in the meantime, HERE are a few fall photos. Taken yesterday.

Oh... and looking at all the other pictures people post on Facebook, lovely as they are, makes me realize that indeed I may be a slightly better than average photographer. I'm just saying...

Okay, really? What am I really saying??

I NEED SOME VALIDATION HERE, PEOPLE!!!!!

geez.

Every Kid Should Be So Lucky...

... to have a mother that fakes their birthday so they get sung to at East Side Mario's!


East Side Bday Part 1 from doublea on Vimeo.

And it goes on...


Untitled from doublea on Vimeo.

Flying In The Wind (updated - you can now see the video!)

Did I tell you my inlaws are in town from Mobile, Alabama? Well, they are. And for the whole month! And I think that's great! And if you think you're sensing my usual scarcasm dripping off my tongue, well, for the first time you'd be wrong. Unlike most of my friends & family, I actually LIKE my in-laws. And my kids love them! And considering they read the blog, and you all know that, you're likely thinking, "God, you're a big freakin' kiss ass." And fact is, you'd be right. I am. Just one more thing about me to love.

Anyhow, they rented a house/cottage/chalet type place up in the Blue Mountains for the month - even though we keep saying that they can stay with us, that we don't mind, they never do. Not for more than a few nights. I think they think they're 'in the way'. They're not. At all.

Anyhow, so last weekend we went up for the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend, and when we arrived, The Girl Who LOVES PINK AND FLOWERS AND ALL THINGS GIRLY was given her choice of bedrooms:







Complete & Total Heaven for Emma, right?

Yeah.

She chose this one:



Surprised the hell outta me. And here, I thought I knew my kid.

Michael had to have the room with the bright pink flowers. He was less than pleased. And quite loud about it. Until quite late at night. And carried on till the wee morning hours too.

But then, he got to go on the big boy swing (his first time) in the park down the street:



And here is Jeff and his father. At least Jeff will know EXACTLY what he's going to look like in 30 years! Kinda freaky, eh?



Have I mentioned that Emma "flies" everywhere? Except when she just gets out of the shower. Cuz then she's temporarily grounded, as her "wings are wet". And everyone knows you can't fly with wet wings. Or when she has a band-aid on one finger. Cuz then she's off balance. That doesn't work so well when in flight.

And now she's got Esther, the kids in the court, the nurses in the ER (from when Michael got his glue-stitch), and Michael flying everywhere. My kid is a trend setter. She's even giving 'lessons', cuz apparently flying isn't as easy as it looks. But it's quite fun when you're on a drive in the country, and have all the windows open!


Flying In The Wind from doublea on Vimeo.

If you're still with me, feel free to check out more photos from our weekend up north. Here we are Kite Flying for the first time! And here we are Picking Apples! (Everyone agreed that it was much more fun than it sounded! Initially they just wanted to go and BUY the apples! Go figure!)

Some Peoples' Kids Are Big Stupid Losers

So remember awhile back I told you the Facebook story of my ex, Justin, his BFF Kevin, and Kevin's wife Britney?

If not, and you care, you can read about it HERE.

So Britney decided she didn't want to hang out in a park with Michael & I. Cuz apparently we suck. Or something.

Then, out of boredom the other day I popped over to her Facebook profile. I do that sometimes. CHICK DELETED ME!!!!! Like, OH. MY. GOD! You big stupid loser! What on earth is the threat of me seeing pictures of your kid??? The fact that she actually took the time to hit the "REMOVE AS A FRIEND" button. Ugh. Loser.

I knew I wouldn't have liked her anyhow.

Looking Back... Emma is 35 Months Old!

So now that Emma rolls over, sits up, is capable of crawling both backwards AND forwards, walks, and talks... really, what's left to record in her monthly updates? Oh yeah... all those oh-so-cute things she says! At least they're cute in real life - I have doubts about how well they translate to my blog. I mean, even reading some of them right now, if I didn't know her, I really wouldn't care so much.

But it's my blog. So there.

(But ummm... please read it. Or at least pretend you do. That would make me happy. Don't you want to make me happy?)



=================

"I really like that Bubbie."

=================

"It's really fun to smile."

=================

She's turned into a bit of a backseat driver. Literally. Okay, not really literally cuz she doesn't have pedals or a steering wheel or anything, but well, y'know. She'll call out things like:

"Watch out for that house!"
"Watch out for that car!"

It's helpful. And annoying. But really, aren't all backseat drivers just that?

================



She prides herself of not being afraid of the dark. Except at night, in her room. Then ALL lights MUST remain on, and low & behold, she falls asleep much later.

A: Emma, you won't fall asleep with all the lights on.
E: No. I WON'T fall asleep WITHOUT all the lights on.

================

As for the monsters though, when Jeff asked her who told her about them, she blamed Bubbie.
Bubbie denies it, but Jeff believes Emma. Yes, he actually thinks MY MOTHER told her there are monsters in her room. C'mon...
Granted, when Emma finds out Santa doesn't really exist, well... he probably won't be entirely wrong.

================



E: You're a booger.
A: No, you're a booger.
E: You're a bigger booger.
A: No, you're a bigger booger.
E: How about we're BOTH bigger boogers?

=================

A: You're cute.
E: You're cute too.
A: You're super cute.
E: You're super cute too. How about we're BOTH super cute?

=================

Have I mentioned how much Emma likes to sing?



Jackson Two from doublea on Vimeo.

================

One afternoon we're driving into our neighbourhood mall. To go to Sears.
A: (out loud, but really to myself) There's Sears...
E: "Good remembering, Mommy!"

=================

"I need to get a little bra for my little boobs."

=================

The Famous (Infamous?) Popper Races of 2007:



Popper Races from doublea on Vimeo.

=================

"When I get my driver's license..."

=================

E: I wish I could drive.
A: If you could drive, where would you go?
E: To Galati's.

Galati's, FYI, is Emma's favourite grocery store. It's the one that has the little buggies. All grocery stores should have the little buggies. They'd sell a lot more crap. I mean, stuff.

=================

It's all pink, all the time. Basically, in Emma's world, if it's not pink, it's simply wrong. And then - uh oh - she noticed there is no pink in her room. Why? Cuz I'm an idiot. When I was pregnant I thought I would do her room all 'gender neutral' cuz if ever I had a second child, and said second child was a boy, I could re-use all her 'gender neutral' bedding and accessories and what not. Yeah. Right. I've mentioned that up till he got his big boy bed, Michael never spent more than 20 minutes in his room before? And so really, what was the point of bringing all that 'gender neutral' bedding over? Speaking of which, I've got a fair bit of 'gender neutral' bedding for sale. Along with a very nice crib. Used for only one child.

================

E: I would really like a TV in my room.
A: Who do you know that has a TV in their room?
E: Daddy.

================

"Michael has a tree in his room. That's really weird."

================

"I like dogs. And nice cats. Not mean cats, like Esther's."

(Cuz back in February, 2006 Esther's cat scratched Emma. Don't piss off my kid. She doesn't forget. Or forgive.)

=================

A: Yummy Yummy in your tummy!
E: No... Yummy Yummy in my bum... cuz I pish it out.

=================

I Know, I Know...

So freakin' lame. I'm still here, but clearly not blogging so much. For no reason, other than I'm tired, slightly under the weather, and my inlaws are in town. So I've been doing the whole entertaining thing. Cooking, sitting, chatting, watching them watch my kids. Oh. And every so often still popping up on Facebook.

Other than that, I suppose I just don't have much to blog about right now.

Emma's monthly update is coming, as are new photos...

Anything you particularly want to know about me? No guarantees that I'll answer, but you're free to ask away...

In the meantime, feel free to occupy yourselves with this video of my kids getting along so well:



This is love from doublea on Vimeo.

Alissa is...

... blatently stealing her intro from Emma. Who stole it from Facebook.

Alissa is... also happy that her internet is working again! That's right people. I was WITHOUT INTERNET for THREE WHOLE DAYS!!!! And, surprisingly, I was alot more productive. Okay, maybe not that surprising. But my house? Not that much cleaner.

So I've got a little story for you, one that, at the end, involves Facebook.

A long, long time ago, way back when I was finishing up high school, I dated a boy named Justin. We stayed together for many years, like 5 or 6, till university graduation. And then, like most relationships in that phase of life, we called it quits. It was either that, or get married. And, ummm... thanks, but no.

Not that he wasn't a perfectly lovely guy. He was. And likely still is. We had a long, drawn out break-up that probably lasted over a year until it was really kaput IN 1997. It was my initiation, so I was quite fine about the whole thing. Well, except for that one period when I was waitressing in a bar and he started hanging out there, and flirting with other girls... that I wasn't so okay with. But anyhoo..

Back then, Justin had a BFF named Kevin. Kevin & I always got along quite well, he was also a very nice guy. Toward the end of our relationship, Kevin started dating Britney. Personally, I never thought they'd last - I mean, we all went on a ski trip one year, and she fell down WALKING up a hill. More like a slope. And not a ski slope. She scraped her knee. She went to the ski infirmary! One of those things first impression things you never really forget about a person. Anyhow, turns out they got married. And now have a kid.

How do I know this? Well, DUH... cuz of the power of FACEBOOK!

Awhile ago I had added Kevin to my 'friend' list. Cuz at one time he was my friend. And then, about a month or so after that he wrote me a very nice little email...

Kevin wrote:
Hey how are you?
Long time no speak, are those your kids?
What have you been up to?

Alissa wrote:
Hey Kevin!!
I'm doing well...
Married, two kids - Emma is 2 1/2, Michael just turned 1.
Currently a stay-at-home mom, but have a keen interest turning my photography hobby into a career (of sorts).

And you? What direction did your life take?
Is that your little one in the profile pic?
Do you still speak to Justin? And, if so, what ever became of him?

==============

And we had a very nice back & forth for a few days. One of the things I found out was that his little girl is just a couple weeks younger than Michael. And HE LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME!!!!

I mentioned that I wanted to see more pictures, and he said he'd have Britney add me to her friend list as she has lots on her Facebook site. Coolio. And in the last two - yes, TWO - emails I received from Kevin, he mentioned that we should get together for lunch/coffee soon...

And then I had several days of lovely back & forth chit chat with Brit Brit. And she, too, initiated that we should get together with our kids. Fantastic! I'm always looking for friends for my kids - especially Michael. Cuz he doesn't really have any. And if they're geographically convenient, all the better.

She even went so far as to send me an Evite to some mother's group thing she was hosting in her house that week... She ended up cancelling due to her daughter's sickness.

So I sent her this email:

Alissa wrote:
Sorry to hear Summer isn't feeling well... Always a scary thing if you have to take them to ER!
(Although due to Rosh Hashanah cooking preparations I wouldn't have been able to making it anyhow...)
Hope she feels better soon!

To which she responded:

Britney wrote:
Thanks. Have a happy new year!

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I sensed it was a little cold... but it's email, and you never really know. But at this point I was on a mission. I wanted to get this chick that I never even liked to begin with to be my friend. Damnit. And hell, I knew even now, just by looking at her photos on Facebook that we'd have nothing in common. I mean, she hosted her one-year old's birthday party in the party room of her condo building and wore a full on dress with pearls. PEARLS, people. Need I remind you that Michael's first birthday party took place in a park where he got to eat his cake whilst sitting in the dirt? Okay, fine. Probably not my shining hour of parenthood, but still... I wore flip flops.

As I was saying, regardless of everything, we have kids that are the same age and SHE LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME. So I figured I really had nothing to lose... And so I wrote another email.

Alissa wrote:
Hey There,
Just wondering if you'd be interested in doing a park play date one of these days?

And this was the response:
Britney wrote:
It's been really nice hearing from you again after all this time but, it might be more appropriate to leave our relationships the way they are so that issues don't have a chance to get complicated down the road. I hope you can understand my position.

WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT???!!! A week earlier she invited me into her home - and now... now she can't speak to me??!!!

Ugh. Some people's children.

Shana Tova!

Way late, but as is everything in my life. At least it is before Yom Kippur. Hell, it's before next Passover.

A little scene from our spunky Rush Hashanah dinner after-party:




Shana Tova! from doublea on Vimeo.

Michael is Fourteen Months Old!

Let me say that just because Michael's monthly update is being delivered in a much more timely manner than Emma's latest one that is not an indication of him being my favourite. Even though he does like me more than she does. And not by just a little bit.





So. Month 14, eh?

I guess I'll start by the riveting news that Michael FINALLY got his 9th tooth in yesterday. I mean, he's had the first 8 for so long, I just kinda forgot that he would be getting more. Anyhow, for the book that remains blank, it's the bottom left, four spaces over from the centre. Huh? I mean, he's got the centre four, and then, on the left, there's a space, and next to that is the new tooth. You with me?

Oh... also as of Sept. 14, he is weighing in at 23 lbs., while Emma is a less-than-hefty 27. At this rate, she better smarten up and start being nice to him or he's gonna absolutely pummel her.



What else?

Here he is, being the little bugger that we've come to know, love, and be very frightened of:



I've concluded that since a live-in nanny is not in the budget, at least not this month, the TV is a viable alternative. Michael, however, disagrees. For this I should be thrilled... I have perhaps the only kid on the planet with zero attention span for a single television show. Emma, on the other hand, could sit in front of the thing all day long. And if I were a nicer mother, perhaps I'd allow it.



The big problem I'm having right now, and have been having for the past, ohhhh.... fourteen months now, is the lack of reading going on between Michael and, well, everyone else. You see, we have tons and tons of books. Board books, soft books, touch and feel books, lift the flap books.. you name it, we have it. Emma loved them. Michael? He just wants to grab the book out of my hand and hit me over the head with it. Yes, really. I suppose I better hope for that sports schlorship, huh.

On the brighter side, he can be ridiculously affectionate - to me, to Jeff, to Bubbie, to Alexandria... to everyone except those who try to poke his eyes out (literally). To those, he pulls their hair. And slaps their faces. Oh. Well, he kinda sorta does that to everyone. Although lately he's gotten really into hugging Emma. It's too cute - first thing this morning, she woke up and came out of her room, Michael was right there to greet her with a hug. Of course, she pushed him off of her, and he fell to the floor.



He taught himself to play peek-a-boo! And now, loves doing it... Will stand behind the sofa, and pop up & down everytime you say it. Ditto rooms & doors. Huh? Like, if I'm in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet or something, he'll run back & forth from the hallway into the doorway view everytime I say peek-a-boo!



Peek-A-Boo! from doublea on Vimeo.

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Friday August 24 - Got his big boy bed! Anyone want to buy a crib? It's very nice, Emma loved it. Michael has never spent more than 3 hours in it. And I'd dare to say that in the past 14 months, it has been a sum total of no more than 18 hours. The mattress is included. Local pick-up only.

Really. We had to buy it cuz we were having a house guest and we out of a guest room. I told you the story when Emma kicked our last house guest out of her room, right? Anyhow, since Michael doesn't sleep in his crib, and eventually he was going to need a big boy bed, there seemed no better time than the present to make the big purchase. Yippee! More Aeroplan Miles! Perhaps you can tell me, all of you with more than one child... How do you "ferberize" one child when the other is in the room right next door? Hate to tell you, but the screaming kinda sorta annoyed Emma. And so... I gave up. Besides, I quite like sleeping with the little guy.

Yeah, yeah... the walls are bare. I know. I'll get around to hanging pictures soon. It's kinda low on my priority list considering we really only go in his room to pick out his clothing for the day.



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At some point this month, early on I believe, Michael said his first 'real' word! Other than Mamama and Dadada. He now says "Hi!" What an awesome first word! So totally friendly... and so totally cute. I know I'm biased, but c'mon... check him out and I dare you to tell me otherwise.



Hi! from doublea on Vimeo.

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Sept 6 - said Emma. Actually he said "Mmmmma" and normally I may have just thought it was a lazy man's "mamama", but he was saying it repeatedly while chasing her, so... I'm just sayin'....

Sept 10 - got first big boy shoes. He has wide feet. Why am I not surprised?

Sept 11 - Said "Daddy" - clear as clear could be. Good thing I was there to hear it, cuz if Jeff had just told me, I dunno if I'd have believed him.

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He wakes me up every morning by sticking his finger right up my nostril. It's not only pleasant, but often quite helpful.

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He gets a real kick out of slapping my stomach fat & watching it jiggle. But then, so do I. (Okay, not really... but let's pretend...)

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I think I may invite his toothbrush to his next birthday party, he likes it so much.

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One of his latest loves is pushing buttons... and the big bonus is the buttons I'm referring to are not mine. Rather, the ones that make the fan turn on, and then go super-duper fast, the one on the alarm system thing at the front door that beep - and so long as he doesn't press the red one, we're good, the one for elevators, and the one to open doors). He also loves pressing light switches, pulling electrical cords out of their outlets, trying to put electrical cords back in their outlets, shoving USB cables into the front of my hard-drive's USB cable slots, shoving electrical cords into the front of my hard-drive's USB cable slots... If there is a hole, he'll find something to put in it. Oh... get your mind out of the gutter! Little guy is only 14 months old!

Check this out... Here is Michael figuring out how to break through the gate:



Untitled from doublea on Vimeo.

A couple days ago he off the vent cover on one of the floor vents, fell in, and gashed his foot something fierce. Being the second child, I waited till the next afternoon to take him to the E.R. ("He's fine.") Turns out, he would have needed two stitches, but cuz I waited they just taped him up and sent us on our way. And look.. he is fine.

And on the same line of sticking things into holes, lately MickNew has also been into sticking his fingers down his throat. I think he tries to see how far he can get before he gags. Nice, huh? So far he has yet to barf - say for the time we were at the restaurant on Centre Island, sitting on the patio, and he leaned over and puked on the floor... but otherwise...

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Uhhh... he also seems to have taken a shine to Emma's Dora blow-up doll.

M: "Hellloooo Dora!"
D: squeak





Have I mentioned that Emma is really into flying these days? And when I say flying, I mean when she runs, she flaps her arms as though she's a bird. Now... since Michael's only other friend is Baby Zachary, and he's only 11 months old and not that mobile, Emma is one of Michael's biggest influences. That said, it's her that he looks to for a lot of stuff. Like running. Yup - he's one kid that's hard to gay up, yet we managed.

In short, this month, Michael:

-dumped all the dirt from the bedroom plant
-ran head first into the corner on our hallway wall, and now I actually think his forehead may be forever dented
-tore all the foam off Jeff's big, expensive speaker
-used the toilet bowl brush to scrub the hallway floors
-used the toilet bowl water to wash his toothbrush
-sat in my parent's dog's waterbowl during Rosh Hashanah dinner

Ahhhh.... boys.