Splash!

I signed my twerp up for swimming lessons today!  Her first "activity".  I seriously can't believe I'm moving into the "activity" portion of her life.

With standard awesome parenting on my part - I told her if she didn't cry at her lesson (they start Tuesday night), she could go to McDonalds.  I'm VERY anxious that it will be a screaming, crying gong show when she realizes I'm not going in too.

That kid would peel her own fingernail off to go to McDonalds.  I hope it's enough to get her in a pool with a stranger and not mommy!

Theft

So - after a healthy dinner of chicken, rice and peas, I served a lovely healthy (for the soul) dessert - we shared a Cookies and Cream white chocolate bar.  I took far more than Shae, you know, taking one for the team, keeping the food slum to a minimum.

Shae finishes her piece, and slides over the couch to me.

Gives me this wide eyed, serious face and says, "Maybe I should have yer chokate."

No smile.  No negotiation.

I started to giggle.  Because I LOVE that bar - and I know she thinks she's being reasonable.

She takes it from me, and I ask, "Why?"

She says, "Maybe you can have another t'eat.  OK?  You have a juice box."

THEN!

She looks at the chocolate, takes a bite, sneers and says, "HAHA!  I got yer chokate!"

Conned.

Bieber

Well, Shae STILL loves the Biebs... and I gotta say... I'm starting to love his music too, goshdarnit...

We had a Bieber (or as Shae says, "Biever") Youtube dance party/singalong tonight... you can see how fun it was...

Part One, then Part Two of "Baby, Baby".

Centreville

Shae has been needing some mom time in a bad (read:crying the second the alarm goes off) way... so I booked off Friday and Monday to spend an extra long weekend with my best gal.

We ended up going to Centreville with two other October 08 mommas and their kids... Although Shae had her first public meltdown EVER to start the day... it turned out to be pretty darn awesome!

The day, in pictures:

Sylvia and Isabelle boating

My ridiculously adorable godson, Lennan

Izzy and Charlotte waiting their turn.

Two gorgeous train buddies!

Shae - sidelining - if Mommy can't go on...

Isabelle's not impressed with Charlotte's driving.

Me and my gal.

Charlotte, Felicia, Lennan - day out with mom!

Merry Go Round - always Shae's fave.

Group hug!

Shae's first slurpee

Huggin' it out.

Shrimps.

Bye Island!  Char says we'll be back tomorrow!

Two Minutes

Although nothing very spectacular happens in these two minutes - I know 10 years from now watching Shae ask me to play with her, and negotiating play instead of supper will make my heart squeeze. 

 These 2 minutes of our day can easily be taken for granted in the moment... but how long before she's not interested in playing with me for two hours?

Hee.

THE NEW IKEA CATALOG IS HERE!  THE NEW IKEA CATALOG IS HERE!!!!

And where better to review it than the can, while pooping.

She just kept saying, "Oh, this is a fancy house!"  and "Oh, this is a fancy couch!"

She is SO MY KID.

Play Date

For real  - this is an actual play date at my house.  AND - that is NOT my kid with the real vaccuum.  I think I'll set up these more often - like twice a week should do it!

Julia - earning her play date privileges...

Still Childless

My kid has been gone to Gramma's for 5 solid nights now - and so, having nothing whatsoever to post about, I've neglected the blog.

I can't believe, honestly, how empty my house is without her!  All week I've been painting the house to keep my mind off it... but today - my mood is black, my body is sore - I just miss her SO much.  Enough of this vacationing at Gramma's crap - I can't WAIT to get my kid back tomorrow! 

I'll post pics of the paint job when it's all done and the rooms are put together - right now my dressers are in the living room...

In addition to getting Shae back, I'd like it if she came back with mad picture hanging skillz.  mmmmkay?

Childless

Daycare is closed this week.  Having no alternative, Shae left at noon to spend the week at Gramma's house.

Now, I'm not going to lie, I did get misty when they pulled out...

But...

I cracked a beer, cranked the unradioready version of Ceelo's (C-lo?  SeeLOW?  I'm not hip enough to know if that's how he spells it)... F**K You... painted the living room... 

Now I'm sitting on my ass, drinking the beer, and truly WATCHING PAINT DRY. 

And I am in heaven.

Seriously, almost 3 years caring for another human... never sitting on my ass without a little niggling guilt over what I'm not tending to...

This is nice. 

Look!  My view RIGHT NOW:

More moms should kick everyone out for a few days... I think the divorce rate would drop.  Hee. 

Cod Salmond

Our awesome friends at Glenaura Farm gave us a kitten.  Shae named him Cod.  Yup, Cod Salmond.  I think he's swell.  If he'd just come out from under the couch...

Wonder

This week, I've been coming in to work at 7am, instead of 8am, because of some transitions at work.  By happy coincidence, this early start resulted in me watching two hot air balloons lifting off near my office this morning. 

It's been years since I've seen a hot air balloon.  Ten years ago, when I lived in Ottawa, it was a daily occurrence, and so the thrill and magic of seeing one drifting along was lost.

This morning, I couldn't stop staring at it and wishing Shae was there with me.  Having a child gives a mom a fresh view of the world - and sometimes it can make the world appear to be a place for your kid to trip or poke herself in a multitude of ways...

But sometimes it reminds you of how amazing the things are that the people of the world can do, for no other reason than because someone dreamed it, and then realized a dream into beautiful, physical reality.

Happy Birthday To Meeeeee...

Shae heard it was my birthday, and immediately asked if there was going to be a princess cake.  You see, sometimes, when I'm feeling very lazy and just want to not parent, we watch princess videos on Youtube. 

Somehow, that resulted in us watching this type of video:

Shae LOVES these videos.

So, I had to bake my own cake.  Shae and her gramma decorated it for me!

Then, there were presents, Shae picked them, aside from the pepper grinder (thanks Mom!).  The card has a princess on it, and it's for a dear granddaughter.  My favorite is the Beiber poster.

THEN!  As if that wasn't enough...

We played dress up.  You'll note Em, that those are your boys tucked into my bra.

 

And there's more...

After a big birthday hug...

Shae looked around her playroom and gave me the best birthday laugh EVER, when she asked me:

WHERE MY FUCKING GAMMA?

Fail?

Is it a mom fail when your kid's favorite thing to draw is a McDonald's drive thru?  I'm sure it's not because they greet us by name and know which toy Shae doesn't have yet, right?

Oh yeah, single parenting is full of the easy outs...