Merry Christmas To You All!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Not A Creature was Stirring...

I hope she sleeps this well when we are away...

Fa Lalalala La La La LAH!

So I finally got all of our decorations up. The last to go up was the Christmas tree. We were having a logistics problem with how to get it home with a baby seat in the way. My father in law ingeniously suggested we take both vehicles and could load it into Peters. Wow. Why hadn't we thought of that?

So the tree is up, it's decorated. The rest of our Christmas lights are up. Wreath and stockings are up. (Most) cards are sent, (some) presents are wrapped. I am well on the way to being nearly ready. Yay.









Hope all of you are coping with all the things that you are doing to prepare for the holidays...

The Mall is a Highway

Thankfully I can say I am done Christmas shopping. Or maybe I shouldn't say it because then I will remember “just one more thing” I have to get. I have done all my shopping this year with Miss A in tow. Since I work on Saturdays we really don't have the opportunity to shop as a family. I don't think Peter is too upset about it. He has been gleefully shopping online. Does anyone know a website where you can purchase stocking stuffers? Cause if you do, he'll be totally set.

I have missed our family shopping trips. Although it's always touch and go as to whether we get through it without having an argument about what exactly caused him to become cranky. Was it the people standing in the aisles, their carts pushed together like some kind of shopping roadblock, chatting and totally oblivious to the lineup of people wanting to get by them? Was it the fact that I was taking too long to decide between two similar items, one of which I would eventually purchase? Or was it because people weren't following his 'mall traffic flow' rules. Yes, you heard me right. He has rules.

Once upon a time, many years ago Peter and I were shopping together at the mall during the busy Christmas season. To avoid a crowd in front of us I headed towards the left 'side' of the mall corridor. “What are you doing?” he asked in horror. I explained that I was trying to get through the crowd more quickly. “But you are breaking the rules!” he exclaimed. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. He explained 'the rules' which are actually 'his rules' and not rules that anyone else follows as far as I can tell. He sees the mall corridors as a highway and in order for the 'traffic' to flow smoothly everyone should treat it as such. Is this making any sense? Probably not. Let me illustrate with a photo.

This is an example of proper 'traffic flow'. People traveling in either one direction or another.



This is an example of improper 'traffic flow'. Notice the weaving back and forth. Not allowed. This is considered rule breaking.



This is the correct way to enter and exit a store which is on the other side of the corridor than the direction you are traveling. Notice the clean lines. Notice how once you exit the store you go directly back to your 'side' of the corridor.



And finally here is why we follow the rules. This is the complete and utter chaos that ensues if the 'rules' are not followed. You can see the traffic flow is not efficient and you can imagine the frustration of the shoppers caught in such terrible flow.



Unfortunately a lot of people don't follow my husbands 'rules'. I always point these people out to him when we're shopping. It's unnecessary because he is fully aware of all those who break his rules. When he first explained them to me I thought he was nuts. Now I find myself following them involuntarily every time I am shopping. And noticing all those who are not.

For those of you who think we are nuts try following his rules the next time you go shopping and see how well they work. And notice how quickly you become annoyed with the rule breakers...

And The Countdown Begins

I'm not thinking about how much there is to do before the weekend. I'm not. And comparatively, I probably don't even have half as much stuff to do as the rest of you out there.

It wouldn't be so bad if we weren't going away for Christmas. Even though I'm totally happy that we'll be spending Christmas with Peter's family it'll be a lot more work than staying home would be. And I work. All day Monday, off Tuesday, working Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And right after work on Saturday we'll be leaving. Peter won't be putting Miss A down for her nap so that she'll sleep on the road. So I will have to be organized enough to basically come home pack the last few items and we'll go.

I haven't wrapped anything yet and I have to decide which of A's gifts I am going to bring with us for her to open. Some will just have to wait until we get home.

Maybe I'm feeling overwhelmed because I'm sick with a cold. I keep telling myself it's a good thing because that means I'll be feeling better by Christmas. Knowing my colds I doubt it. By Sunday night I should be in the full on barking cough stage. Awesome!

I am a bundle of joy I know. Bah Humbug and stuff. But really, I'm fine. Just tired. And anticipating a lot more tired to come...

Maybe this picture will make up for my downer mood.

A Holiday Winner

Another week, another winner. Kelli strikes again from Holding the Mirror up to my Soul.



I didn't particularly think this one was difficult (Perhaps because I knew the answer!) although that was suggested by a couple of guessers. I thought 'The Lost Boys' was a pretty popular movie although now that I think of it, not in the least bit festive... Oh well.

Any of you who have gotten to know me very well or read my Halloween post, know that I have a bit of a thing for Vampires. Don't ask me why. Probably the same reason I like Mike Lobel's character from Degrassi. They're BAD!

I was able to find some pretty decent pictures. Don't they look like a rock band? Kiefer and Alex were rockin' some wicked mullets in this movie. Photographic evidence that a mullet can look good on the right person.



And do you remember the two Coreys. Feldman and Haim. I saw an 'E True Hollywood Story' about them not that long ago and surprisingly (I thought) Corey Haim has faired the worse of the two.



I remember thinking Jason Patric was dreamy in this movie. All tortured and stuff. Gotta love that.



This film had a nice balance of funny and scary. Scary without being too scary. Which is cool. I am so done with too scary movies. That part of my life is over. I wouldn't suggest it as a holiday flick or anything but maybe one to watch in the New Year. Watch it for the first time or the fiftieth, whatever.

Oh and just a reminder that there will be no Say WHAT? next week. Just enjoy your Christmas!

Say WHAT?

It's Friday again and that means it's time for Say WHAT? The AMAZING 80's quote trivia game. In case you haven't played before, here is the down low – At the bottom of this post you will find a quote from an 80's movie. If you choose to play you must, without using the internet as a resource, guess which 80's movie the quote has been taken from. But here is where the rules have changed. If by Sunday we still don't have a winner anyone may go ahead and Google away. The first person to give the correct movie wins! Fun, huh? Leave your guesses in the comments section and if you are the first to correctly identify the quote, you win! I announce the winner on Sunday and that winner receives acknowledgment, linkage and if they have a profile picture I post that also. I recap the winner every Friday and include all of the aforementioned information. And hey, even if you don't know the answer just give me a shout out. I like to know who's stopped by!

I still have no idea who the winner of last week's Say WHAT? was. Care to identify yourself Annoymous?



Time for today's quote. Don't forget to come back on Sunday to see if you are a winner. Have fun and good luck!





“We're on the right trail. Flies and the undead go together like bullets and guns. Come on.”

My Big Girl

Everyday Miss A seems more and more grown up. Here are a few examples...

Here she is feeding her baby. (baby is also one of her favorite words) I'm not sure why she always takes all the babies clothes off or why the baby has that large hole in her crotch. Doesn't she look like a great little Mama? Until she drops the 'baby' on it's head...



And here she is just chillin' on the couch with Casey. Watching 'Baby Einstein'. I can imagine her looking like this as a teenage girl, except she"ll be much bigger and watching something else on T.V.



She's trying to royally mess with her Dada's computer here... Change his password or something. If I leave the room I'll often to come back to find her sitting there. I guess she comes by it honestly.



And this one Peter took last night while I was at work. First time she's done it but it was only a matter of time. I don't know if she was trying to help me with my Christmas cards or what. Kinda scary...




So, she's officially growing up too fast. I'm pouting about it.

Another Tag

1.Explain what ended your last relationship.
It had always been more of a friendship than a 'relationship'. Things dissolved and then I met Peter.

2.When was the last time you shaved?
Um...Friday?

3.What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
Dragging my tired behind to the bathroom.

4.What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Pumping. Yes, I'm still doing that. If I could lay eggs I'd do that too.

5.Are you any good at math?
Easy, NO. My brain is lacking the part that makes sense of anything mathmatical.

6.Your prom night?
We call it 'Grad' here in Canada. I had the flu and spent the night at home frequently barfing.

7.Have you had to take a loan out for school?
No.

8.Do you know the words to the song on your myspace profile?
I don't have one. Although I've thought about getting one so I can make friends with Mike Lobel.

9.Last thing received in the mail.
Crap.

10.How many different beverages have you had today?
None. (It's only 8:31 am) I'm steeping tea right now.

11.Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?
Yes.

12.Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to?
Spirit of the West

13.Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
Nope. I'm too busy splashing in the water.

14.What was the most painful dental procedure you have had?
I haven't had anything more than a filling.

15.What is out your back door?
A driveway, a clothesline, a shed and the back lane.

16.Any plans for Friday night?
Not so far.

17.Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
I just love the ocean and what it does to my hair is irrelevant.

18.Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?
Nope.

19.Have you ever been to a planetarium?
Yes.

20.Do you re-use towels after you shower?
Absolutely.

21.Some things you are excited about?
Christmas, The New Year.

22.What is your favorite flavor of JELLO?
Um... Strawberry.

23.Describe your keychain(s)?
My husband always teases me about all the crap I have on my keychain. The is a Toyota keychain, a mountain climbing clip thingy, my car starter and a leather one.

24.Where do you keep your change?
A piggy bank, in my car ashtray, in my wallet and in my tip container at work.

25.What kind of winter coat do you own?
Two cheap nylon ones with fake fur around the hoods.

26.What was the weather like on your graduation day?
Sunny. It's hard to remember because I was throwing up (the flu, remember?)

27.Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?
Pulled almost closed.

28.Tag three people:
It's a busy time of year. Do it if you have the time.

Tagged

I was tagged by Jenn. Also, check out the new chapter at 'The Mama D Experiment'.

A - Available or single: I am married.
B - Best Friend: Many.
C - Cake or Pie: Pie.
D - Drink of choice: Pepsi.
E - Essential Item you use everyday: Proactive Solution.
F - Favorite color: Black.
G - Gummy Bears or worms: Bears.
H - Hometown: A very tiny town.
I - Indulgence: Chocolate.
J - January or February: Neither.
K - Kids & Names: Little Miss A
L - Life is Incomplete Without: Passion.
M - Marriage Date: September 14.
N - Number of Siblings: Three Sisters, One brother. I am the baby.
O - Oranges or Apples: Apples and Christmas Oranges.
P - Phobias or Fears: Getting Divorced. Being Seriously Ill.
Q - Fave Quote: “What I really want to do with my life - what I want to do for a living - is I want to be with your daughter. I'm good at it.” Say Anything.

R - Reason to Smile: Miss A's laughter.
S - Season: Fall. Fall is when I was married and when Miss A arrived.
T - Tag 3 or 4 people: I'm leaving this one open to anyone who's interested.
U - Unknown Fact about Me: I have my tongue pierced.
V- Vegetable You Don't Like: Green Pepper.
W - Worst Habit: Worrying.
X – X-rays: Back, Knee, Foot.
Y - Your Fave Food: Lobster or really good pasta.
Z - Zodiac Sign: Virgo.

Who Are You?

Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday. Not that anyone cares... Except maybe 'Anonymous' who was the winner. Who are you anonymous? Congratulations anyway.



'Overboard' is a hilarious movie. Not at all filled with teen angst like most of my favorite 80's flicks. It's just so quirky I love it. I always feel like I have to keep 'Say WHAT?' clean so I didn't use my favorite quote “I was a short, fat, slut.” It makes sense if you've seen the movie.

I couldn't find any pictures except the movie posters.





This movie is one I would highly recommend to anyone up for some lighthearted laughs and quirky humor.

Say WHAT?

It's Friday again and that means it's time for Say WHAT? The AMAZING 80's quote trivia game. In case you haven't played before, here is the down low – At the bottom of this post you will find a quote from an 80's movie. If you choose to play you must, without using the internet as a resource, guess which 80's movie the quote has been taken from. But here is where the rules have changed. If by Sunday we still don't have a winner anyone may go ahead and Google away. The first person to give the correct movie wins! Fun, huh? Leave your guesses in the comments section and if you are the first to correctly identify the quote, you win! I announce the winner on Sunday and that winner receives acknowledgment, linkage and if they have a profile picture I post that also. I recap the winner every Friday and include all of the aforementioned information. And hey, even if you don't know the answer just give me a shout out. I like to know who's stopped by!

Last week our winner was Kelli in the Mirror. It seemed a lot of people new last weeks quote!



Time for today's quote. Don't forget to come back on Sunday to see if you are a winner. Have fun and good luck!



"I just...ate a bug!"

Miss Tall Pants

I have always wanted to be taller. Ever since I accepted the fact that I had stopped growing and I would never be any taller than 5'4. I looked at the girls who were taller than me and felt jealous of how their bodies seemed so streamlined, their legs so long. I thought they looked graceful, like dancers. I however had the body of a football player – strong and solid.

I often dated guys who were much taller than me, not difficult considering how short I am, but these guys were usually at least 6 feet. Eventually I married a tall man. Lucky for me he just happened to also have all the other qualities I was looking for in a husband. I couldn't help day dreaming about the tall children we would have one day. When I was pregnant with Miss A I wondered if she would be tall like her Dada and hoped that for her sake she was.

Now my dream is a reality. But the ironic part? It's not all I was hoping it would be. At almost fifteen months she is “off the charts” at 34 inches tall. Her height enables her to climb up onto furniture with absolutely no trouble as well as reach things that should be out of her reach. She can press the Start/Stop button on the microwave and enjoys the beeping noise that it makes. She can grab anything off the table as long as it's relatively close to the edge. She can reach the top of her dresser or to the third shelf on her bookcase. If she felt like it I'm sure she could climb right out of her crib.





Lets just say I'm starting to see the downside of this tall thing. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad for her to get some of my freaky short genes...

The Santa Picture

You gotta do it, right? Right? Well, we did. And I'm thankful that Miss A and I went alone because her Dada definitely would not have had the patience required.

First of all I got A all dressed up in her Christmas outfit and bundled her up to go to the mall only to find that Santa wasn't there until 1:00. I was certain I had read on their sign just last week that on Mondays and Tuesdays Santa was there at 10:00. Hmph! So I went to a pay phone and invited ourselves to my mom's for lunch.

Since we were already there I figured we'd go ahead and do the other thing I'd planned. Go to a shopping party! Do other stores have these? I received a call the other day from this store and because I have one of their special 'cards' they told me I was invited to receive 25% off on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I've been to these before but today I was disappointed. Not because Miss A was totally not in the mood for shopping, was generally grumpy and the only thing that made her happy was playing with my wallet and emptying it's contents into the cart. (Although that didn't help.) It was because it seemed like they had removed any nice clothing they had and brought out all the reject stuff in hopes that they could liquidate it at the 'party'. I had hoped I'd find a couple of pairs of dress pants for work but every pair I tried on just didn't fit right. I ended up walking away with only a simple black shirt and a frown.

After we had had lunch we made the trip back to the mall and Santa. Much to my dismay there were already several people in line. We joined the line and waited our turn. It has obviously been a long time since I paid any attention to the Santa booth at the mall. It made me feel very uneasy seeing parents trying to force their children to sit on this guys lap. They would cry and hold onto their mothers for dear life. I kept thinking 'Just stop. Don't make the kid do it if they don't want to. Is it really worth it?' I was also thinking 'Just give up already, it's someone else's turn.' I felt foolish even taking part in this strange tradition.

Santa had all the personality of a robot, barely speaking to the kids just holding them on his lap and staring blankly at the camera. I even tried to strike up a bit of a conversation with him but he mostly nodded, said very little and then turned on his fan. Miss A sat on his lap just fine at first but she wanted to get down to check out all the cool stuff. When robot Santa handed her a candy cane she sat on his knee just fine. She looked at the photographer with her big blue eyes and posed with a serious look like a little model.



The whole experience left me feeling a little depressed. I felt sorry for all the kids that wailed to not be put on that scary guy's lap. I felt sorry for robot Santa in his beard and big red costume that was designed for someone who lived in the North Pole, not a shopping mall. I'm not sure I'll do it again next year. I can see A being the kind of kid that would actually want to go and sit on his knee. Although I thought I would have been like that as a kid too but the truth is I was afraid too afraid to get my picture taken with him until I was thirteen years old. So we'll see. It seemed like a nice idea but in reality it was just a big pain in the neck.

Mama Fear

I am afraid of dying. This sounds dumb I realize. I mean nobody wants to die, right? At least, not right now. Not before they've grown old and had a good life. Let me try to explain.

I think I was like all kids, okay I wasn't at all, but I think most kids run around oblivious to life and death. They don't think about things like that and it doesn't occupy their thoughts or cause them to worry. When I was in my early teens I was still living in oblivion. I used to walk all over the city with my friends late at night and never thought about any danger we could have been in.

After my fifteenth birthday a couple of things happened that shook me out of my happy little dream world. One of those things was an altercation my friend and I had while walking to a nearby store in broad daylight. We were confronted my five girls who basically wanted to beat us up for no reason. I told the story here. The other thing was a horrible tragedy that changed me forever. One of my good friends was killed in a car accident.

Suddenly the world wasn't so safe anymore. I had a severe reaction to these events. I was afraid to go anywhere, even in broad daylight. I thought that anyone might want to hurt me whether it was a mom pushing a stroller, an elderly gentleman out for a stroll or a tough looking girl or guy my age. If anyone was ever late I would assume that something horrible had happened to them. (I still struggle with this one even today.) I had learned that life could be short and people would sometimes want to hurt you for no reason at all.

As I also explained here, once I started doing TaeKwon Do I began feeling more confident and less paranoid. My quality of life was so much better than it had been in a number of years. I had no idea when I started doing martial arts that I would be a much happier and relaxed person. Perhaps this is the reason that TaeKwon Do is so much a part of me. Why I feel that a part of me is missing when I'm not doing it. Maybe that is why I've been feeling strange lately.

Another thing that I had mentioned at the end of this post was about being afraid. I touched on some of the reasons I thought may have been the cause. Now I'm pretty sure I know what is going on.

The responsibility of being a mother is enormous. The fear I often feel is directly related to that. When I have to go out to my car after work and it's dark and no one is around I find myself thinking “I can't let anything happen to me. A needs me.” It's a feeling I've never had before. After doing TaeKwon Do I began feeling confident about taking care of myself. I never allowed myself to think about the consequences of something happening to me. Now I can't stop. I think about it when I'm driving, when I'm walking, when I'm working. This feeling of being so important, so vital to another person... It's almost suffocating. Yet another thing I hadn't thought about before making this jump into motherhood. Would I go back if I could? No. But sometimes... most of the time, it's pretty overwhelming.

How Far Would You Go

So last Thursday was pretty crazy. My cat was acting pretty strange, frantically drinking water and meowing constantly. I called the vet and they suggested I bring him in. I figured as much and I was rather worried about him since he had been diagnosed last year with chronic renal failure. I had myself convinced that his kidneys had actually failed.

So off we went to the vet office, 22 pound kid in one arm 20 pound cat in the other. We dropped him off and I tried not to worry. They called later after doing several tests. It turns out that he has diabetes now. The vet was very kind and explained everything really clearly. He told me that I didn't have to decide right away what I was going to do I could think about it for a couple of days. He said that not everyone feels comfortable doing the injections.

My mind was spinning. Diabetes. Injections. Fifteen years ago when I was just a high school kid getting a kitten I wasn't thinking ahead to this scenario. Fifteen years. We'd grown up together. Casey was a part of my family. We've been together longer than my husband and I have. He sat on my bed with me many times as I cried over lost friends and boyfriends. He kept me company when I moved out to my first apartment all by myself. And perhaps the most touching thing of all is that he loves my baby. Even when she came in and took over his home as well as taking almost all the love and attention we had to give. He's patient with her even when she doesn't deserve it and he worries about her when she's upset. He's family.




I told the vet I'd be there soon to pick him up and learn how to give him his injections. When I arrived he was surprisingly calm (slightly sedated) and oblivious while the technician and I injected sterile water into his back several times. I was to start giving him the insulin injections the next day, one in the morning and one at night. When I brought him home Miss A bent down to look at him in his kennel and excitedly whispered to him. I smiled and knew I'd made the right decision.

I have known other people who have had pets with various ailments and I would always wonder what I would do if faced with the same situation. Would I be able to afford to care for a sick pet? How far would I go? I'm sure I had thought if it ever came to this it would be time to say goodbye. But the fact is, I can't. Casey is sick but he's not suffering. As long as I give him his insulin he is fine. After all the joy he has brought to my life it is the least I can do.

I have now given him seven injections. I am a pro. I thought giving the needles would be a lot harder than it is. He doesn't even seem to notice. It is already becoming routine. Sometimes it makes me frustrated and I think “Add that to the list of things I have to do every day.” but then Miss A when go over to pet him and jabber away to him and I get over it. I'm glad that this didn't happen when she was tiny and I was overwhelmed. I'm not sure I would have been able to handle it. I think it's true that we are never given more than we can handle. Even though sometimes it feels like too much.

Ze Vinner is...

Another week, another winner. This week its Kelli in the Mirror. Although Jenn could have won but graciously left it for someone else. She's cool like that. To quote Kelli though “And I'm totally fine with winning only because Jenn is nice.” It feels good to win, doesn't it? No matter how it happens.

When I looked up quotes for 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' I was shocked to see how many curse words there were. I hadn't remembered so much bad language in this film. Steve Martin's character was an angry, angry man.



Most of my favorite 80's movies are about young people, in love, lusting after someone, in a love triangle, sneaking out to dance with an older man or skipping school. This is a John Hughes film so you would think it would contain one or all of the above mentioned things... but no. For those of you who haven't seen it, (hello? is there anybody out there?) it's the story of two fellas trying to get home for Thanksgiving. At first they don't like each other. Well, Neal doesn't like Del anyway. But by the end, after much yelling, screaming and harsh words, after they finally reach their destination – they have become friends. Foremost this movie is funny but it is also poignant and sad at times. As I've said many times before, John Hughes is brilliant.



And I love the John Candy. But not the mustache.

Say WHAT?

It's Friday again and that means it's time for Say WHAT? The AMAZING 80's quote trivia game. In case you haven't played before, here is the down low – At the bottom of this post you will find a quote from an 80's movie. If you choose to play you must, without using the internet as a resource, guess which 80's movie the quote has been taken from. But here is where the rules have changed. If by Sunday we still don't have a winner anyone may go ahead and Google away. The first person to give the correct movie wins! Fun, huh? Leave your guesses in the comments section and if you are the first to correctly identify the quote, you win! I announce the winner on Sunday and that winner receives acknowledgment, linkage and if they have a profile picture I post that also. I recap the winner every Friday and include all of the aforementioned information. And hey, even if you don't know the answer just give me a shout out. I like to know who's stopped by!

Last week's winner was my good buddy and volleyball player extraordinaire Jenn from And then there were four. She is seriously quick on the draw. So, good luck everyone.



Time for today's quote. Don't forget to come back on Sunday to see if you are a winner. Have fun and good luck!



“Simple. There's no way on earth we're going to get out of here tonight. We'd have more luck playing pickup sticks with our butt-cheeks than we will getting a flight out of here before daybreak.”