Before I left work, everyone there pitched in and gave me $175 to put towards a digital video camera. I bought it today. Yes, it was certainly more than $175. I made up the rest and hope that other gifts from parents etc will result in covering a good part of the remaining amount. I know John doesn't think it should have been at the top of the priority list but it is really the only thing I wanted that was kid related. I just feel that years from now I will really want to see Emily in action during her cutest, funniest, most playful moments and that will definitely be worth whatever amount we have to make up to cover the cost.
The camera is currently charging and tomorrow I'll be able to film. Should be much fun for me and torture for everyone around me.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
I thought I'd left that behind for a while
When I walked out of the office on my last day on July 28 I thought I'd said goodbye to the bureaucratic annoyances in being a civil servant that I often complain about here (and anywhere else I can). No such luck. Last Wednesday went by with no pay. Then Thursday, Friday and so on. I emailed my pay clerk who was away and left no forwarding name. He's back today and to his credit, answered my email at 7:43 this morning. In another example of government efficiency, they stopped my direct deposit. I guess they figured I will have all the time in the world to be depositing cheques when I'm on maternity leave. Who finds direct deposit handy after all? To top it off, they didn't even mail the cheque to my house. Oh no... they decided it would be more convenient if they sent it to my division so that I could drive across the city and pick it up! Needless to say, I have politely requested that direct deposit resume, which it will from now on.
If this was a one-off I wouldn't complain so much. I'd chalk it up to human error, too much to do, yada, yada, yada. However, this exact same problem happened at the beginning of my last maternity leave! Oh yes, it did! I guess you can't fault them for being inconsistent in their inefficiency.
If this was a one-off I wouldn't complain so much. I'd chalk it up to human error, too much to do, yada, yada, yada. However, this exact same problem happened at the beginning of my last maternity leave! Oh yes, it did! I guess you can't fault them for being inconsistent in their inefficiency.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Lazy, lazy, lazy
Beth got after me the other day for being so delinquent in my blog posts. She's right. It's been a sad demise in the posts around here. You'd think that since I finished work at the end of July that would leave me ample time to post witty narratives. You'd think. Instead I have done the following: spent a week at the cottage, painted the baby's room and Emily's room, set up the baby's room and Emily's room, cleaned the rest of the house from top to bottom, reorganized the basement, taken almost daily naps (very important), cooked cooked and cooked some more putting those meals in the freezer, had tea with Meredith and others, kept Emily home a few days, went with Emily and the daycare to the local zoo (it turns out there is a zoo in Ottawa. Who knew?). So, I guess that's a lot. However, I have also spent my time watching the last season of Alias with John and now season 2 of Veronica Mars. Oh yah, and stretching various parts of my pelvic region.
So, some news of the last two weeks then. (1) Birth pool has been delivered. It is set up. Picture attached. It is empty of course as I don't really want to grow algae as I wait for #2 to make his/her appearance. You're probably asking why the heck I need a pool in my basement when hospitals have big birthing pools. Think about it. You'll probably come up with the answer. I'll confirm that for you after it is all over.
(2) Daycare closing... again. What is up with our luck? Dawn told me last week that due to arthritis in her knees (just recently diagnosed) - she is under 40 by the way - that she has to go back to a regular desk job as the pain is too much. Sucks! Again! So, she is closing the doors at the end of September. This leaves me with potentially 3 or 4 weeks with the new baby before Emily is with me fulltime as well. I know lots of parents do this and I should stop whining but I was expecting to at least have October before I went down to part-time at Dawn's. With no family in town, the idea is a bit overwhelming but I'm getting used to it now. After today, a great day with Emily who was at the top of her game - funny, cute, really well-behaved etc - it doesn't seem like it would be so hard at all. Anyway, you'll be hearing all about it on the blog.
On a related note, I put Emily on the waiting list for a spot at a French preschool starting in February 2007. Dawn's daughter will also be there. I'm going to have her go part-time until I return to work, should I do so in September. Anyway, that's where it is all at. I'm not going to look for another home daycare for her in the meantime. The transition for her is too hard and I'm at home. She can be with me and be happy even if I am more tired that I planned to be.
Okay, there is the update.
No action on the baby front so far although there are some signs of the impending birth: pelvic pressure (read, popped a hemorhoid. Mmm, nice), cramps, baby has dropped. Will try to be better about posts. And of course there is the upcoming: nasty details about the birth that you didn't want to know.
So, some news of the last two weeks then. (1) Birth pool has been delivered. It is set up. Picture attached. It is empty of course as I don't really want to grow algae as I wait for #2 to make his/her appearance. You're probably asking why the heck I need a pool in my basement when hospitals have big birthing pools. Think about it. You'll probably come up with the answer. I'll confirm that for you after it is all over.
(2) Daycare closing... again. What is up with our luck? Dawn told me last week that due to arthritis in her knees (just recently diagnosed) - she is under 40 by the way - that she has to go back to a regular desk job as the pain is too much. Sucks! Again! So, she is closing the doors at the end of September. This leaves me with potentially 3 or 4 weeks with the new baby before Emily is with me fulltime as well. I know lots of parents do this and I should stop whining but I was expecting to at least have October before I went down to part-time at Dawn's. With no family in town, the idea is a bit overwhelming but I'm getting used to it now. After today, a great day with Emily who was at the top of her game - funny, cute, really well-behaved etc - it doesn't seem like it would be so hard at all. Anyway, you'll be hearing all about it on the blog.On a related note, I put Emily on the waiting list for a spot at a French preschool starting in February 2007. Dawn's daughter will also be there. I'm going to have her go part-time until I return to work, should I do so in September. Anyway, that's where it is all at. I'm not going to look for another home daycare for her in the meantime. The transition for her is too hard and I'm at home. She can be with me and be happy even if I am more tired that I planned to be.
Okay, there is the update.
No action on the baby front so far although there are some signs of the impending birth: pelvic pressure (read, popped a hemorhoid. Mmm, nice), cramps, baby has dropped. Will try to be better about posts. And of course there is the upcoming: nasty details about the birth that you didn't want to know.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Happy Second Birthday, Emmy!
Today my munchkin turned 2! She had a wee birthday party at daycare, which I joined in for, and then at home she had her favourite dinner: shawarma, followed by opening her presents. John and I gave her a little tea set and some stickers and Omi gave her a tricycle. She loved her first ride!
It seems so short a time ago and yet a long time ago that she was born. She's grown up so much and yet I feel I've been able to experience a lot of it and will do so even more this year. She's so special, so much fun. I love you monkey.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
A great week and now a new countdown is on....
This entry is going to be very newsy, short of wit but hey, I've got a lot to get down here and little energy. This pregnancy has reached the point of "I want this baby to be born but at the same time I have way too much to do so please don't come yet. But wait, I'm just so tired... how will I get it all done? Don't come yet! But then, if the baby stays in there, I'll continue to be tired. Ach! My brain is being eaten by pregnancy hormones." Anyway, here is all our news of the last week and maybe soon I'll be inspired to be funny, witty, or at least sarcastic.
We had a great week at the cottage last week. Of course, John had a brutal sinus cold the first three days so that sucked but Emily and I had a great time. She was so much better this year at the cottage. She loved swimming - spent time playing on her "plane" (her name for the windsurfer board), in her baby float, riding John's shoulders, and "paddling" in the canoe (she likes to sit on the seats and hold a big paddle. Note: must find her a child-sized paddle for next year). She also loved just playing in the cottage and on the (new) deck, exploring around the cottage and playing with the bubbles. On Thursday, my dad, Donna, Beth and Graeme all arrived with two dogs in tow so Emily was even happier. She absolutely thrives on having people around - she is a very social animal. More people to show off for, ask "what doing?" and ham it up for.
While we were there, Jannie and Mark Henkelman joined us for the afternoon and evening for some bocci, some good food (patting my own back here) and some birthday cake for Emily. Emily turns 2 on August 11 (Friday already!) so I made a birthday cake for her. She was clearly thrilled to have everyone sing for her and for the next two days she kept asking for birthday cake. I caved and gave in almost every time. Hey, if she got to eat more, so did I.
No vacation with a toddler is complete without some injuries of course. Emily had her share: stepped on a bee, face-planted against the edge of a table getting her first fat lip, and then the whopper: fell down the front steps of the cottage landing on the rocks at the bottom, on her face. Perfectly round bruise on her forehead and several scratches on her nose. Check out the next photo for the evidence. I guess I'll put off that picture at Loblaws for a couple of weeks.
Emily slept in a "big bed" while at the cottage. The first night was a bit rough but after that it was all shits and giggles. She was thrilled and announced it every morning by shouting: "Emily! Big bed! Sleep!" Sleep. Yes, that would be nice past 7:00 am. Ah well. At least the peace of the lake was ours and ours alone for the first few hours.
So, now she is in her big bed at home as of tonight. Of course, after about 10 minutes she somehow had wedged herself between the mattress and bed rail. I only knew this when I heard her say through the monitor: "Emily uh-oh. Boom. Careful. Careful." I ran up and there was her little body suspended in midair. Yes, my heart was pounding thinking that she could have been caught at the neck. Needless to say two dining room chairs are now wedged against the bedrail, a towel shoved into the space and tomorrow I will be at Toys R Us buying the more expensive but safer bed rail that claims to eliminate this problem (which they point out can result in death or severe injury. Great, I'm sure I'll sleep just fine tonight).
It was great to spend time with Beth and Graeme. Especially at the cottage. And also fun, as always, to see the colour of Beth's hair. She chose this time to go with the Ronald McDonald colour I chose last year and which I still am paying my hair dresser to get rid of. We decided that it is far better on short hair. Much less Ronald McDonald.
Emily is back at Dawn's this week while I get things organized here, cleaned and do some cooking. So far I've only managed to clean two bathrooms (we have four), finish painting Emily's room, and read my current book "Julie and Julia," which I totally love. Oh and nap. I must nap more. I thought I was going to fall asleep standing up. I have more to organize this time than usual. More on that in a future post, after this baby is actually born.
Anyway, it is now time for bed, reading my book etc. The book has now taken me to the point where I actually made Julia Child's salade nicoise for supper tonight. Man, French cooking creates a lot of dishes. Tastes great, less filling, burn off calories doing dishes. I see now why French women don't get fat.
We had a great week at the cottage last week. Of course, John had a brutal sinus cold the first three days so that sucked but Emily and I had a great time. She was so much better this year at the cottage. She loved swimming - spent time playing on her "plane" (her name for the windsurfer board), in her baby float, riding John's shoulders, and "paddling" in the canoe (she likes to sit on the seats and hold a big paddle. Note: must find her a child-sized paddle for next year). She also loved just playing in the cottage and on the (new) deck, exploring around the cottage and playing with the bubbles. On Thursday, my dad, Donna, Beth and Graeme all arrived with two dogs in tow so Emily was even happier. She absolutely thrives on having people around - she is a very social animal. More people to show off for, ask "what doing?" and ham it up for.
While we were there, Jannie and Mark Henkelman joined us for the afternoon and evening for some bocci, some good food (patting my own back here) and some birthday cake for Emily. Emily turns 2 on August 11 (Friday already!) so I made a birthday cake for her. She was clearly thrilled to have everyone sing for her and for the next two days she kept asking for birthday cake. I caved and gave in almost every time. Hey, if she got to eat more, so did I.No vacation with a toddler is complete without some injuries of course. Emily had her share: stepped on a bee, face-planted against the edge of a table getting her first fat lip, and then the whopper: fell down the front steps of the cottage landing on the rocks at the bottom, on her face. Perfectly round bruise on her forehead and several scratches on her nose. Check out the next photo for the evidence. I guess I'll put off that picture at Loblaws for a couple of weeks.
Emily slept in a "big bed" while at the cottage. The first night was a bit rough but after that it was all shits and giggles. She was thrilled and announced it every morning by shouting: "Emily! Big bed! Sleep!" Sleep. Yes, that would be nice past 7:00 am. Ah well. At least the peace of the lake was ours and ours alone for the first few hours.So, now she is in her big bed at home as of tonight. Of course, after about 10 minutes she somehow had wedged herself between the mattress and bed rail. I only knew this when I heard her say through the monitor: "Emily uh-oh. Boom. Careful. Careful." I ran up and there was her little body suspended in midair. Yes, my heart was pounding thinking that she could have been caught at the neck. Needless to say two dining room chairs are now wedged against the bedrail, a towel shoved into the space and tomorrow I will be at Toys R Us buying the more expensive but safer bed rail that claims to eliminate this problem (which they point out can result in death or severe injury. Great, I'm sure I'll sleep just fine tonight).
It was great to spend time with Beth and Graeme. Especially at the cottage. And also fun, as always, to see the colour of Beth's hair. She chose this time to go with the Ronald McDonald colour I chose last year and which I still am paying my hair dresser to get rid of. We decided that it is far better on short hair. Much less Ronald McDonald.Emily is back at Dawn's this week while I get things organized here, cleaned and do some cooking. So far I've only managed to clean two bathrooms (we have four), finish painting Emily's room, and read my current book "Julie and Julia," which I totally love. Oh and nap. I must nap more. I thought I was going to fall asleep standing up. I have more to organize this time than usual. More on that in a future post, after this baby is actually born.
Anyway, it is now time for bed, reading my book etc. The book has now taken me to the point where I actually made Julia Child's salade nicoise for supper tonight. Man, French cooking creates a lot of dishes. Tastes great, less filling, burn off calories doing dishes. I see now why French women don't get fat.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)