Today is September 28th. It is clearly supposed to be fall.
So why on earth was the high today 92F!??!?!?! For those of us who are Celsius lovers and/or connoisseurs, that's approximately 33C. Again, I repeat, IT IS SEPTEMBER. It's practically October.
I feel gypped out of a real fall. And more than slightly overheated. We went to a children's art festival at the local arboretum this afternoon and left earlier than we'd planned because it was honestly just too hot to be outside. Mind you, Rachel got an ice cream cone, so she was quite happy. She also got a butterfly painted on her cheek. That wasn't quite as exciting as the elephant she got on her face at the Plaza Art Fair last weekend, but it was apparently still pretty fun.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
We should listen to the baby more often
Last night while I was on the phone with a friend, Anna started saying, "Mmm.... mmm... ma.... ma..." Naturally, I got all excited since it was clear to me at the time that she was saying Mama!
I should have paid closer attention. Later that night, Ben and I were each sitting at our respective computers. I was finishing up pumping while chatting online with a friend. All of a sudden, Ben said, "Don't panic, but there's a MOUSE."
Me: "WHERE?!?!?"
Ben: "It just ran right by you."
Me: "WHAT!?!???!?!?"
(Clearly Anna had been trying to warn us by attempting to say "mouse" even though said rodent did not show up until well after the kids were in bed.)
Yes, I jumped up on the nearest chair and began to freak out. After all, I had just seen the mouse. It was rather large and dark. We concluded that it had gone underneath our large, unwieldy (but very handy and cheap from IKEA!) computer armoire. Ben started moving things and sure enough, the mouse ran out. He whacked at it with a broom but was unsuccessful. I then spotted it in our front hall between a baby gate and a white board that we have yet to put away. Ben opened the front door and tried to chase it out. Too bad the mouse went the other way.
We spent a long time searching for it. I even set out chunks of cheese all around the main floor. We are 99% sure that it did not go upstairs, but we closed the bedroom doors while we searched downstairs, just to be sure.
Finally, Ben went to Wal-Mart to buy traps, but he came back with glue traps instead of snap traps. Oops. We set them out anyway, with chunks of cheese for good measure.
This morning there was nothing in any of the traps. We searched all over again, but couldn't find anything. Ben bought a couple of snap traps and set them out, and supposedly someone is coming out to take care of things this afternoon. (Ben had called the development company we are renting from. Perhaps last week's ants were our problem, but as far as I am concerned, the mouse is NOT my problem alone to solve!)
I do find it comical that Ben and I couldn't catch a MOUSE with cheese, but we had no trouble at all catching a hamster with cheese about 10.5 years ago. More on that later.
I should have paid closer attention. Later that night, Ben and I were each sitting at our respective computers. I was finishing up pumping while chatting online with a friend. All of a sudden, Ben said, "Don't panic, but there's a MOUSE."
Me: "WHERE?!?!?"
Ben: "It just ran right by you."
Me: "WHAT!?!???!?!?"
(Clearly Anna had been trying to warn us by attempting to say "mouse" even though said rodent did not show up until well after the kids were in bed.)
Yes, I jumped up on the nearest chair and began to freak out. After all, I had just seen the mouse. It was rather large and dark. We concluded that it had gone underneath our large, unwieldy (but very handy and cheap from IKEA!) computer armoire. Ben started moving things and sure enough, the mouse ran out. He whacked at it with a broom but was unsuccessful. I then spotted it in our front hall between a baby gate and a white board that we have yet to put away. Ben opened the front door and tried to chase it out. Too bad the mouse went the other way.
We spent a long time searching for it. I even set out chunks of cheese all around the main floor. We are 99% sure that it did not go upstairs, but we closed the bedroom doors while we searched downstairs, just to be sure.
Finally, Ben went to Wal-Mart to buy traps, but he came back with glue traps instead of snap traps. Oops. We set them out anyway, with chunks of cheese for good measure.
This morning there was nothing in any of the traps. We searched all over again, but couldn't find anything. Ben bought a couple of snap traps and set them out, and supposedly someone is coming out to take care of things this afternoon. (Ben had called the development company we are renting from. Perhaps last week's ants were our problem, but as far as I am concerned, the mouse is NOT my problem alone to solve!)
I do find it comical that Ben and I couldn't catch a MOUSE with cheese, but we had no trouble at all catching a hamster with cheese about 10.5 years ago. More on that later.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Will crawl for shoes, take two!
I felt that this deserved a post of its own. Anna tried her hardest to crawl today while in Stride Rite. Although she didn't quite get there, she got up on her hands and knees and was trying her utmost to push herself forward.
She tried again in the suit store, but decided that store was too boring and it wasn't worth the effort. Yes, Ben got three new suits today. It was "buy one get two free" suit day at Jos.A.Bank (www.josbank.com). Yes, the one suit was pricy, but overall it was a good deal and now we don't have to buy Ben any work clothes for years! (We'll ignore the fact that he'll be shirtless and tieless, haha)
She tried again in the suit store, but decided that store was too boring and it wasn't worth the effort. Yes, Ben got three new suits today. It was "buy one get two free" suit day at Jos.A.Bank (www.josbank.com). Yes, the one suit was pricy, but overall it was a good deal and now we don't have to buy Ben any work clothes for years! (We'll ignore the fact that he'll be shirtless and tieless, haha)
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
She'll never be a dictator's wife now.
My daughter is not destined for fame as an owner of too many pairs of shoes, that's for sure. No Bata Shoe Museum, no Imelda Marcos with shoes for any and every occasion.
Why, you ask? Oh, no reason. It's not like my daughter OUTGREW her shoes in ONE MONTH!!!!! Actually, she did. At least it's given me something to blog about today.
When we moved home from Kansas City in spring 2007, my mother had kindly bought way ahead a pair of size 12 running shoes for Rachel. She spent her year in London basically not growing at all in shoe size. When we were in KC this past April, we ended up buying her running shoes in size 11.5 because she just wasn't ready for the 12s yet even though she'd outgrown her 11s.
This summer Rachel had 2 pairs of sandals in size 12 - pretty pink for everyday, and dressy white for shul and other dress-up occasions. She finally grew into her size 12 runners in mid-August and I believe that she first wore them to pre-school on Aug.25. We made a trip to the Stride Rite outlet in late August, and bought Rachel cute suede-like tall lace-up shoes with light-up flowers. She loves them. They are size 12. We also bought her black dress shoes which she has yet to wear. Size? You guessed it - 12 again. We had her sized both at the regular Stride Rite and at the outlet and she measured a 12.
2.5 weeks ago we bought her fancy white dress shoes for Aunt Rebecca's wedding at the Stride Rite outlet in Lee, MA for $20. Yup, size 12.
She also has last year's winter boots in a size 12.
So let's do the math. That's 2 pairs of sandals, 1 pair of lace-up shoes, 1 pair of runners, 2 pairs of dress shoes and 1 pair of boots, all in size 12. I was just thinking the other day how Rachel currently has more shoes than she's ever had at one time before. Since she has wide feet and her shoes are usually expensive, we tend to buy one of each kind that she needs. Although I love the outlet, it's hit or miss for stock, and the service isn't usually very good. I don't believe in skimping on kids shoes since I have such a hard time myself finding good quality shoes that fit properly.
Fast forward to today. I met my friend L and her kids at the mall for lunch at Panera. After lunch, we went to the play area, ogled cute clothes at Gymboree, (and made plans for our Gymbucks, woohoo!) and then the trouble began.
I commented that I wanted to look at Stride Rite for brown dress shoes for Rachel since her school picture day is tomorrow and she's going to be wearing a brown dress. Just for kicks, I asked them to measure Rachel, even though she's been measured 2 or 3 times at different stores in the past month and has consistently measured at a 12W.
By now (ok, long before now), I'm sure you can all see where this is going. My daughter no longer wears a size 12 shoe. No, Rachel is now in a size 13. *thud* (That was the sound of my jaw dropping) *whine* (That was what I proceeded to do for the next half hour or so, especially since she's worn her super-cool light-up shoes maybe four times and has yet to even put on her black dress shoes.)
$108 later, Rachel now has pretty runners and a pair of brown dress shoes. I'll have to find my Stride Rite outlet receipt. Since she hasn't worn the black shoes, if it's within 30 days I can still return them. I guess I'm SOL on the rest. E-bay, anyone?!?!
Why, you ask? Oh, no reason. It's not like my daughter OUTGREW her shoes in ONE MONTH!!!!! Actually, she did. At least it's given me something to blog about today.
When we moved home from Kansas City in spring 2007, my mother had kindly bought way ahead a pair of size 12 running shoes for Rachel. She spent her year in London basically not growing at all in shoe size. When we were in KC this past April, we ended up buying her running shoes in size 11.5 because she just wasn't ready for the 12s yet even though she'd outgrown her 11s.
This summer Rachel had 2 pairs of sandals in size 12 - pretty pink for everyday, and dressy white for shul and other dress-up occasions. She finally grew into her size 12 runners in mid-August and I believe that she first wore them to pre-school on Aug.25. We made a trip to the Stride Rite outlet in late August, and bought Rachel cute suede-like tall lace-up shoes with light-up flowers. She loves them. They are size 12. We also bought her black dress shoes which she has yet to wear. Size? You guessed it - 12 again. We had her sized both at the regular Stride Rite and at the outlet and she measured a 12.
2.5 weeks ago we bought her fancy white dress shoes for Aunt Rebecca's wedding at the Stride Rite outlet in Lee, MA for $20. Yup, size 12.
She also has last year's winter boots in a size 12.
So let's do the math. That's 2 pairs of sandals, 1 pair of lace-up shoes, 1 pair of runners, 2 pairs of dress shoes and 1 pair of boots, all in size 12. I was just thinking the other day how Rachel currently has more shoes than she's ever had at one time before. Since she has wide feet and her shoes are usually expensive, we tend to buy one of each kind that she needs. Although I love the outlet, it's hit or miss for stock, and the service isn't usually very good. I don't believe in skimping on kids shoes since I have such a hard time myself finding good quality shoes that fit properly.
Fast forward to today. I met my friend L and her kids at the mall for lunch at Panera. After lunch, we went to the play area, ogled cute clothes at Gymboree, (and made plans for our Gymbucks, woohoo!) and then the trouble began.
I commented that I wanted to look at Stride Rite for brown dress shoes for Rachel since her school picture day is tomorrow and she's going to be wearing a brown dress. Just for kicks, I asked them to measure Rachel, even though she's been measured 2 or 3 times at different stores in the past month and has consistently measured at a 12W.
By now (ok, long before now), I'm sure you can all see where this is going. My daughter no longer wears a size 12 shoe. No, Rachel is now in a size 13. *thud* (That was the sound of my jaw dropping) *whine* (That was what I proceeded to do for the next half hour or so, especially since she's worn her super-cool light-up shoes maybe four times and has yet to even put on her black dress shoes.)
$108 later, Rachel now has pretty runners and a pair of brown dress shoes. I'll have to find my Stride Rite outlet receipt. Since she hasn't worn the black shoes, if it's within 30 days I can still return them. I guess I'm SOL on the rest. E-bay, anyone?!?!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Imagine that...
We have a CREDIT on our Rogers account in the amount of $31.48! Despite the last customer (dis)service representative telling Ben that the amount she told us to pay was the correct amount, apparently we overpaid. I wonder how long it will take to get that money back.
Since I didn't get to finish this post before Ben got home, here's the update that is technically not an update for those of you who are reading this for the first time.
Ben called Rogers to ask when the refund cheque would be sent. The representative seemed surprised that Ben was calling to get the refund. Apparently they weren't planning on sending it out to us!??! He also offered to send it right out to the Hanson Cres. address. Yeah, that's a great idea to send it to the address we told them we were moving from.
Supposedly the representative has now processed our refund cheque and is sending it to my mother in St. Catharines. Who thinks she'll actually get it?
Since I didn't get to finish this post before Ben got home, here's the update that is technically not an update for those of you who are reading this for the first time.
Ben called Rogers to ask when the refund cheque would be sent. The representative seemed surprised that Ben was calling to get the refund. Apparently they weren't planning on sending it out to us!??! He also offered to send it right out to the Hanson Cres. address. Yeah, that's a great idea to send it to the address we told them we were moving from.
Supposedly the representative has now processed our refund cheque and is sending it to my mother in St. Catharines. Who thinks she'll actually get it?
Saturday, September 20, 2008
*Sigh*
Remember our saga with the Honda Odyssey? Well, here we go again, thankfully only with our Kenmore vacuum this time!
Nine years ago, we were given a Kenmore upright vacuum as a wedding present by a group of our friends. The irony of Ben's friends giving him a cleaning device wasn't lost on us either!
For the past year or so, I've been feeling like the vacuum hasn't been working as well as I'd like, but it was still doing the job. Yesterday, while vacuuming in preparation for having a friend over for dinner (see? I clean every once in awhile!), I smelled burning rubber. Ben opened up the vacuum to find that the belt had broken. He commented that it had happened once before, about 4 or 5 years ago, and that he knew he had another belt for the vacuum.
Well, the new belt broke about two minutes after it was put on. Grr.
So now we face the fun of trying to get it fixed down here. Yes, in theory Sears is Sears and Kenmore is Kenmore. But then again, you'd think that the warranty on Ben's new Honda Civic would be good in Canada, and it's not. That would be even more ironic if he'd gotten the silver/grey Civic that was assembled in Alliston, ON instead of the dark blue one we got that was assembled in Ohio. (insert shudder here, since Ohio is #2 on our "we don't like to drive here" list due to a tire blowing out in the middle of the night.)
I called the local Sears repair centre. Here's how that conversation went:
Me: "I have a 9 year old Kenmore upright vacuum that was purchased in Canada. Will it be a problem to get it fixed here in the US?"
Repair Guy: "No, we can repair it here. There's a $32 charge to look at it, but it's applied towards the total cost of repairs if you choose to have it repaired here."
Me: "Ok, but what if you can't fix it? What if it turns out that you can't get the right parts because this vacuum was bought in Canada?"
Repair Guy: "If you choose not to have it repaired, we don't return the $32 to you."
Me: "Ok, but what if YOU can't repair it because of the parts being an issue?"
Repair Guy: "That's only a problem if it's not a brand that Sears carries."
Me, again: "It's a Kenmore, but was bought in Canada."
Repair Guy: "You just need to bring it in and we'll get it fixed. It'll be about 10 or 11 days before we can get it back to you."
Me: "Thanks, bye."
After that oh-so-helpful conversation, I decided to call Kenmore and ask straight out about parts differences. I got an even smarter guy on the phone this time:
Me: "Hi, I have a 9 year old Kenmore upright vacuum that was purchased in Canada. I'm now living in the US and the vacuum is broken. Can I get it fixed here, or will it be an issue because of the parts?"
Kenmore Guy: "It should be fine. Hold on and I'll check."
*insert annoying hold music here*
Kenmore Guy: "This was about a refrigerator, right?"
Me: "No. It's about a vacuum."
Kenmore Guy: "You can take it in to a Sears repair centre and they will fix it for you."
Me: "Ok, but I want to find out if there will be an issue with the parts because it was bought in Canada. Is it even possible to get it fixed here?"
Kenmore Guy: "Um, uh... I will check and let you know."
*more annoying hold music*
Kenmore Guy: "I spoke to my manager and it should be fine. You just need to take it in to a repair centre."
Me: "Ok, and it won't be a problem?"
Kenmore Guy: "It would only be a problem if the vacuum is a brand that Sears doesn't service."
Me, again: "It's a KENMORE."
Kenmore Guy: "Then you just need to bring it in to a repair centre and we will fix it for you."
Me: "Thanks, bye."
I would like to point out that when we were building our house in London, we went appliance shopping here in Kansas just for kicks. When we went to Sears, we asked specifically about moving appliances to Canada and were told that the warranty wouldn't be valid there and that we might have an issue with parts if repairs were needed. So yes, I understand that the US and Canada are in theory not that different. In fact, my US and Canadian Britax car seats look identical except that one is rated to 48 pounds and the other to 65 pounds. Heck, Anna's infant car seat is the same as the US version only hers is rated to 22 pounds and the US one is rated to 30 pounds. The prices are also quite different, as I'm sure you can imagine.
Anyone have a suggestion for a good vacuum? ;)
Nine years ago, we were given a Kenmore upright vacuum as a wedding present by a group of our friends. The irony of Ben's friends giving him a cleaning device wasn't lost on us either!
For the past year or so, I've been feeling like the vacuum hasn't been working as well as I'd like, but it was still doing the job. Yesterday, while vacuuming in preparation for having a friend over for dinner (see? I clean every once in awhile!), I smelled burning rubber. Ben opened up the vacuum to find that the belt had broken. He commented that it had happened once before, about 4 or 5 years ago, and that he knew he had another belt for the vacuum.
Well, the new belt broke about two minutes after it was put on. Grr.
So now we face the fun of trying to get it fixed down here. Yes, in theory Sears is Sears and Kenmore is Kenmore. But then again, you'd think that the warranty on Ben's new Honda Civic would be good in Canada, and it's not. That would be even more ironic if he'd gotten the silver/grey Civic that was assembled in Alliston, ON instead of the dark blue one we got that was assembled in Ohio. (insert shudder here, since Ohio is #2 on our "we don't like to drive here" list due to a tire blowing out in the middle of the night.)
I called the local Sears repair centre. Here's how that conversation went:
Me: "I have a 9 year old Kenmore upright vacuum that was purchased in Canada. Will it be a problem to get it fixed here in the US?"
Repair Guy: "No, we can repair it here. There's a $32 charge to look at it, but it's applied towards the total cost of repairs if you choose to have it repaired here."
Me: "Ok, but what if you can't fix it? What if it turns out that you can't get the right parts because this vacuum was bought in Canada?"
Repair Guy: "If you choose not to have it repaired, we don't return the $32 to you."
Me: "Ok, but what if YOU can't repair it because of the parts being an issue?"
Repair Guy: "That's only a problem if it's not a brand that Sears carries."
Me, again: "It's a Kenmore, but was bought in Canada."
Repair Guy: "You just need to bring it in and we'll get it fixed. It'll be about 10 or 11 days before we can get it back to you."
Me: "Thanks, bye."
After that oh-so-helpful conversation, I decided to call Kenmore and ask straight out about parts differences. I got an even smarter guy on the phone this time:
Me: "Hi, I have a 9 year old Kenmore upright vacuum that was purchased in Canada. I'm now living in the US and the vacuum is broken. Can I get it fixed here, or will it be an issue because of the parts?"
Kenmore Guy: "It should be fine. Hold on and I'll check."
*insert annoying hold music here*
Kenmore Guy: "This was about a refrigerator, right?"
Me: "No. It's about a vacuum."
Kenmore Guy: "You can take it in to a Sears repair centre and they will fix it for you."
Me: "Ok, but I want to find out if there will be an issue with the parts because it was bought in Canada. Is it even possible to get it fixed here?"
Kenmore Guy: "Um, uh... I will check and let you know."
*more annoying hold music*
Kenmore Guy: "I spoke to my manager and it should be fine. You just need to take it in to a repair centre."
Me: "Ok, and it won't be a problem?"
Kenmore Guy: "It would only be a problem if the vacuum is a brand that Sears doesn't service."
Me, again: "It's a KENMORE."
Kenmore Guy: "Then you just need to bring it in to a repair centre and we will fix it for you."
Me: "Thanks, bye."
I would like to point out that when we were building our house in London, we went appliance shopping here in Kansas just for kicks. When we went to Sears, we asked specifically about moving appliances to Canada and were told that the warranty wouldn't be valid there and that we might have an issue with parts if repairs were needed. So yes, I understand that the US and Canada are in theory not that different. In fact, my US and Canadian Britax car seats look identical except that one is rated to 48 pounds and the other to 65 pounds. Heck, Anna's infant car seat is the same as the US version only hers is rated to 22 pounds and the US one is rated to 30 pounds. The prices are also quite different, as I'm sure you can imagine.
Anyone have a suggestion for a good vacuum? ;)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
I'm afraid to have a third child...
Rachel seems to really love percussion instruments, as can be seen in the photos below. These were taken at the end of August at a Pops in the Park concert by the KC Symphony that included an instrument "petting zoo" before the concert.
She wouldn't let me show her how to hold the violin properly, but at least she tried it! She chickened out of waiting in line for the big, scary cello. Haha.
Anyhow, Rachel will apparently be a percussionist. You can see how hard she was concentrating at getting the triangle and drums just right.
Anna spends her time in Kindermusik conducting and "singing", aka making loud noises and shrieks so that everyone in class knows that she is the cutest, most interesting baby there. She seriously waves her arms up and down like a conductor. It cracks me up every time.
So, one's a percussionist and one's a conductor. What's next, a singer!?!?
She wouldn't let me show her how to hold the violin properly, but at least she tried it! She chickened out of waiting in line for the big, scary cello. Haha.
Anyhow, Rachel will apparently be a percussionist. You can see how hard she was concentrating at getting the triangle and drums just right.
Anna spends her time in Kindermusik conducting and "singing", aka making loud noises and shrieks so that everyone in class knows that she is the cutest, most interesting baby there. She seriously waves her arms up and down like a conductor. It cracks me up every time.
So, one's a percussionist and one's a conductor. What's next, a singer!?!?
Quotes for the day
Anna, at Rachel's gym class after the kids had been encouraged to try something new:
"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
Rachel, upon leaving the cheap pizza buffet where we had dinner tonight:
"Is this the Dine Out door?" (We had entered where it said "Dine-In Entrance")
Ben, to a group of 10 fourth-grade beginner cellists:
"The most important part of your head that you will use here is your ears. So stop talking." (apparently it worked!)
"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
Rachel, upon leaving the cheap pizza buffet where we had dinner tonight:
"Is this the Dine Out door?" (We had entered where it said "Dine-In Entrance")
Ben, to a group of 10 fourth-grade beginner cellists:
"The most important part of your head that you will use here is your ears. So stop talking." (apparently it worked!)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A great time was had by all!
Rachel and her new friend enjoying treats after the wedding.
"My cousin Mark put me in a tree! At least he didn't pull the same trick he pulled at my parents' wedding! I heard that was pretty funny..."
"I love cousins Aviva & Lynn!"
"Seriously, when are you people going to stop taking pictures of me?"
Dad and Anna sporting pretty nifty bibs!
The cake, subject of Rachel's most heartfelt desire. "Mom, will we stay for the cake? When will they cut the cake?"
Rachel and Tom start their walk down the aisle.
This is a very serious job, you know.
"Here comes the bride!"
Anna, decked out in her pretty dress and hat. And check out those adorable shoes!
My idea of a perfect family shot - in full sun so you can't see our faces!
When Rachel was 7 months old, Craig taught her about beer at Elliot & Dina's wedding. Now that Anna is 7 months old, it was time for Craig to teach her about beer at Rebecca & Aaron's wedding! Anna's actually an early learner. She only turned 7 months old 3 days ago and this was taken on Sept.7.
Rachel thoroughly enjoyed having her hair done for the wedding.
Of course pretty flowers in the back were a requirement.
"What, you mean we can't go to the wedding dressed like this?"
Rachel in all her flower girl finery.
"My cousin Mark put me in a tree! At least he didn't pull the same trick he pulled at my parents' wedding! I heard that was pretty funny..."
"I love cousins Aviva & Lynn!"
"Seriously, when are you people going to stop taking pictures of me?"
Dad and Anna sporting pretty nifty bibs!
The cake, subject of Rachel's most heartfelt desire. "Mom, will we stay for the cake? When will they cut the cake?"
Rachel and Tom start their walk down the aisle.
This is a very serious job, you know.
"Here comes the bride!"
Anna, decked out in her pretty dress and hat. And check out those adorable shoes!
My idea of a perfect family shot - in full sun so you can't see our faces!
When Rachel was 7 months old, Craig taught her about beer at Elliot & Dina's wedding. Now that Anna is 7 months old, it was time for Craig to teach her about beer at Rebecca & Aaron's wedding! Anna's actually an early learner. She only turned 7 months old 3 days ago and this was taken on Sept.7.
Rachel thoroughly enjoyed having her hair done for the wedding.
Of course pretty flowers in the back were a requirement.
"What, you mean we can't go to the wedding dressed like this?"
Rachel in all her flower girl finery.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Sleep
I would like to preface this post by saying that the version of Strunk & White that we own does not cover footnoting sources on blogs so I am assuming that nobody out there will really care that I have copied out a few dictionary definitions.
Sleep, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary online: the resting state in which the body is not active and the mind is unconscious
I beg to differ with that definition. Surely my mind is not conscious when I am up every hour of the night with a teething, almost-crawling, recently-developed-a-cold 7-month-old! Surely my body is not active as I race down the hall for the zillionth time, or lay in the recliner nursing while wishing that males had the ability to lactate.
By the above definition, I am getting lots of sleep. The only parts of my body that are active at night are the lactating parts. Speaking of those, I managed to block up my pump the other night. Apparently I no longer have any valid concern or worry about supply issues. How could I, when someone nurses round the clock every hour or two in what seems to be a frantic attempt to comfort and soothe herself back to a temporary state of inactive body and unconscious mind?!
But back to the definition of sleep. The Oxford Dictionary has this to say about sleep:
1 a regularly recurring condition of body and mind in which the nervous system is inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended
2 a gummy secretion found in the corners of the eyes after sleep
Again, by the first definition, I am getting plenty of sleep. I suppose my muscles are relaxed as I lean back in the recliner wishing that I had never heard the words pelvic rotation. My consciousness is suspended to the point that I often wonder what day it is, which kid is which, and whether or not I will ever again be a functional human being capable of coherent thought and speech.
As for the second definition, I think that I have just discovered a perk of sleeplessness. I no longer need to wash the corners of my eyes in the morning. No sleep = no sleep. Just think of all the time that I'll save in the morning!
And finally, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that sleep is "the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored"
Powers of the body? Would those be things like talking in a complete sentence that doesn't sound like baby talk or gibberish? (On that note, my husband put the verb in the wrong place in a sentence yesterday. Apparently he is also not sleeping as much as he would like!) Or maybe it just refers to the ability to walk without feeling like you're in a zombie-like haze. One day I will walk Rachel into preschool and talk to the other moms without feeling like I'm out there somewhere else, watching this Jane-person interact as if she's a fully conscious human being who has slept for more than 2 hours in a row within the past month or two.
Drugs? Alcohol? Who needs them?! I've got sleep deprivation! Mind you, it's entirely possible that I may be addicted to frappucinos and lattes. Rachel asked me tonight why I had asked her and Ben to go out and get me a drink. She looked puzzled when I explained that the substances within were currently enabling me to function. She'll understand in 30 years or so! In the meantime, I'll look forward to returning home in a couple of months to order my first ever Double Double at good ol' Tim's!
Sleep, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary online: the resting state in which the body is not active and the mind is unconscious
I beg to differ with that definition. Surely my mind is not conscious when I am up every hour of the night with a teething, almost-crawling, recently-developed-a-cold 7-month-old! Surely my body is not active as I race down the hall for the zillionth time, or lay in the recliner nursing while wishing that males had the ability to lactate.
By the above definition, I am getting lots of sleep. The only parts of my body that are active at night are the lactating parts. Speaking of those, I managed to block up my pump the other night. Apparently I no longer have any valid concern or worry about supply issues. How could I, when someone nurses round the clock every hour or two in what seems to be a frantic attempt to comfort and soothe herself back to a temporary state of inactive body and unconscious mind?!
But back to the definition of sleep. The Oxford Dictionary has this to say about sleep:
1 a regularly recurring condition of body and mind in which the nervous system is inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended
2 a gummy secretion found in the corners of the eyes after sleep
Again, by the first definition, I am getting plenty of sleep. I suppose my muscles are relaxed as I lean back in the recliner wishing that I had never heard the words pelvic rotation. My consciousness is suspended to the point that I often wonder what day it is, which kid is which, and whether or not I will ever again be a functional human being capable of coherent thought and speech.
As for the second definition, I think that I have just discovered a perk of sleeplessness. I no longer need to wash the corners of my eyes in the morning. No sleep = no sleep. Just think of all the time that I'll save in the morning!
And finally, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that sleep is "the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored"
Powers of the body? Would those be things like talking in a complete sentence that doesn't sound like baby talk or gibberish? (On that note, my husband put the verb in the wrong place in a sentence yesterday. Apparently he is also not sleeping as much as he would like!) Or maybe it just refers to the ability to walk without feeling like you're in a zombie-like haze. One day I will walk Rachel into preschool and talk to the other moms without feeling like I'm out there somewhere else, watching this Jane-person interact as if she's a fully conscious human being who has slept for more than 2 hours in a row within the past month or two.
Drugs? Alcohol? Who needs them?! I've got sleep deprivation! Mind you, it's entirely possible that I may be addicted to frappucinos and lattes. Rachel asked me tonight why I had asked her and Ben to go out and get me a drink. She looked puzzled when I explained that the substances within were currently enabling me to function. She'll understand in 30 years or so! In the meantime, I'll look forward to returning home in a couple of months to order my first ever Double Double at good ol' Tim's!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Fun and games in Ponyville
Rachel is obsessed with My Little Pony. She has quite a few ponies, both large and small, as well as a couple of small playsets & accessories to go with them. She likes to play on mylittlepony.com and I don't mind letting her play on the site since it amuses me to no end to see her watch the commercial videos and then tell me how she *needs* all of these playsets. I have tried to explain to her how she is being influenced by media, but she is responding in typical 4-year-old fashion, which is to say that she is not convinced that I'm right about media hype. "But Mom, we need to have all of the playsets and ponies. It says so right on the website!"
We like to tease Rachel a lot. Since Anna was introduced to beer last weekend (more on that later), we have been talking a bit about it. Today Rachel was serving drinks from Ponyville. Ben and I were allowed to order whatever we wanted, but we were repeatedly told, "Sorry, we don't have that. You can only have *insert different item*" So much for democracy. In Rachel's Ponyville, she is the supreme dictator.
I inquired about the possibility of obtaining beer in Ponyville, and was told that beer was only sold at Candy Heart's Beer Shop. So alcohol is available in Ponyville, should you ever feel the need to have a drink while listening to talk about creatures with such insipid names as Cupcake, Tropical Surprise, Sweetie Belle, Pinkie Pie, Royal Bouquet, and of course who could forget Toola Roola?!
We like to tease Rachel a lot. Since Anna was introduced to beer last weekend (more on that later), we have been talking a bit about it. Today Rachel was serving drinks from Ponyville. Ben and I were allowed to order whatever we wanted, but we were repeatedly told, "Sorry, we don't have that. You can only have *insert different item*" So much for democracy. In Rachel's Ponyville, she is the supreme dictator.
I inquired about the possibility of obtaining beer in Ponyville, and was told that beer was only sold at Candy Heart's Beer Shop. So alcohol is available in Ponyville, should you ever feel the need to have a drink while listening to talk about creatures with such insipid names as Cupcake, Tropical Surprise, Sweetie Belle, Pinkie Pie, Royal Bouquet, and of course who could forget Toola Roola?!
I shouldn't have said anything
I commented to a friend yesterday that although Anna *can* roll, she had only rolled once from back to front and twice from front to back. I remember distinctly saying that I figured she just couldn't be bothered with it.
We're about 95% unpacked here. The things that aren't unpacked or put away include many little trinkets, papers, small toys, etc. You know - all the things that I wouldn't want a baby to get into.
This morning I put Anna on her playmat sitting up. She was happily playing with her toys, so I turned around to write a few emails. I turned back to find that she had fallen on her back and was still happily playing. Then a minute later, I turned to see that she had flipped onto her belly and was happily playing and trying to throw herself forward!
She hasn't figured out how to crawl yet, but I have a feeling that she'll be on the move sooner than Rachel was. My mother would probably like me to point out that unless Anna learns to crawl tomorrow, I still retain the title of earliest crawler in our family as she is certain beyond any doubt that I was crawling at 6 months. Rachel crawled on her 10 month birthday at Payless Shoes in the Port Huron mall. I had innocently put her down on the floor thinking that it would be nice to let her out of the stroller. Next thing I knew, she had turned around and crawled to the wall and grabbed some shoes. She still loves shoes - just wait until I upload pictures from Rebecca's wedding!
We're about 95% unpacked here. The things that aren't unpacked or put away include many little trinkets, papers, small toys, etc. You know - all the things that I wouldn't want a baby to get into.
This morning I put Anna on her playmat sitting up. She was happily playing with her toys, so I turned around to write a few emails. I turned back to find that she had fallen on her back and was still happily playing. Then a minute later, I turned to see that she had flipped onto her belly and was happily playing and trying to throw herself forward!
She hasn't figured out how to crawl yet, but I have a feeling that she'll be on the move sooner than Rachel was. My mother would probably like me to point out that unless Anna learns to crawl tomorrow, I still retain the title of earliest crawler in our family as she is certain beyond any doubt that I was crawling at 6 months. Rachel crawled on her 10 month birthday at Payless Shoes in the Port Huron mall. I had innocently put her down on the floor thinking that it would be nice to let her out of the stroller. Next thing I knew, she had turned around and crawled to the wall and grabbed some shoes. She still loves shoes - just wait until I upload pictures from Rebecca's wedding!
Toto, we're definitely in Kansas.
As we piled into the van tonight to go to a friend's for Shabbat dinner, I commented to Ben that it sounded like the tornado sirens were going off. Yes, they were, he agreed, but he was relatively unconcerned, so we started off for C's place.
A minute later, I suggested (ok, commanded, but we're pretending I was playing Good Wife) that Ben turn on the local radio station to check on the situation. The announcer was indicating that there were possible tornadoes touching down near where we had to pass by, so we called C to get his opinion on whether or not we should still come. He thought it would be fine since nothing was happening where he was.
I was not so sure. A moment after that, the radio announcer said that a tornado had touched down at 133rd & Stateline. For the record, that's a whopping 5 miles (or 8km) from our house and we were driving right towards it! Oops.
We turned around and went home. This was probably a good thing since Rachel had been up since 4:21 a.m. for whatever reason. (I should point out that she read quietly in bed until 7:30 a.m. though, so that was good! Anna was up at 5:46 a.m. for the day. Where do we get these early birds from!?) C was still wanting us to come over, but we really had to decline and postpone until lunch tomorrow instead.
No need to panic, we're all safe and secure in our house with the puny little basement that we have yet to take shelter in. It's all good here in the land of Oz.
Shabbat Shalom!
A minute later, I suggested (ok, commanded, but we're pretending I was playing Good Wife) that Ben turn on the local radio station to check on the situation. The announcer was indicating that there were possible tornadoes touching down near where we had to pass by, so we called C to get his opinion on whether or not we should still come. He thought it would be fine since nothing was happening where he was.
I was not so sure. A moment after that, the radio announcer said that a tornado had touched down at 133rd & Stateline. For the record, that's a whopping 5 miles (or 8km) from our house and we were driving right towards it! Oops.
We turned around and went home. This was probably a good thing since Rachel had been up since 4:21 a.m. for whatever reason. (I should point out that she read quietly in bed until 7:30 a.m. though, so that was good! Anna was up at 5:46 a.m. for the day. Where do we get these early birds from!?) C was still wanting us to come over, but we really had to decline and postpone until lunch tomorrow instead.
No need to panic, we're all safe and secure in our house with the puny little basement that we have yet to take shelter in. It's all good here in the land of Oz.
Shabbat Shalom!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Little Miss Literal
On Rachel's first day of pre-K, her teacher explained to the parents that the kids will always be waiting on the circle carpet for us to come and pick them up. The kids have to stay there until a parent comes and picks them up. From this, Rachel concluded that I actually have to come and get her off the carpet instead of her getting up when I come in to the room. She tells me every day, "Mom, the parents have to pick up the kids off the carpet. I can't go until you pick me up!" Silly girl.
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