Saying Yes to the Dress

This past weekend DD1 and I set out to look for a Grad dress.  While I know a few of you just cringed, it turned out to be a rather fun experience.  I must admit, I didn't go into the whole process with high hopes. I do still have vivid memories of shopping with my Mum as a teen (now I'm cringing) and I thought I might be in for my own just desserts.  Luckily, DD1 inherited the bulk of her genes from someone else!  During the course of the two day event, there was not one moment of snarkiness or even an eye roll, and that was just me.  DD1 was pretty well behaved too.  We emerged on the other side of Dante's little known layer of hell--Elizabeth Noel on a Saturday--with "the perfect dress" in hand.  On our first go around.  I know.  I am still in shock.

Bring your Own Sunshine

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine"--Anthony J. D'Angelo

A friend of mine posted this on facebook today--couldn't think of a more timely thing to write today.
I plan on bringing my sunshine tomorrow, and the day after that, and hopefully the day after that too.

Happy Day

My two daughters are as different as different really can be.  For instance, when told of DH's upcoming heart surgery DD1 asked, "are you scared dad?" and DD2 asked, "so they need to stop your heart to operate, right?".  Imagine.  It's a lot like winning the lottery really.  I have my emotional-intuitive-empathetic child (who doesn't know it but who I am banking will take care of me in my later years!) who is so wonderfully kind and caring and my perceptive-logical-and emotional- in- her -own- way child who will one day take over the world (and still find time to snuggle with me).  
It's not often they work very well together, which makes sense given that they come at the world from two different perspectives.  Today was one such rare moment.  DD2 had her weekly math problem to solve and decided that her usual method of solving it would just not do.  Enter DD1 who was more than happy to share her grade eight algebra with her sister.  And so began an hour long math lesson, coupled with discussions and in the end, some pretty good problem solving.  It was really almost a magical moment (my threshold for magic is very low at the moment so humour me).  Maybe it's the full moon?  Maybe the sugar rush from the Tim's valentine's doughnuts I bought them (okay, they are seriously fabulous, you really must try one).  Whatever led to this strange but wonderful coupling I will take it and will remain ever optimistic for more moments such as this.

Toddlers & Tiaras with Tom Hanks

"sexy feet. sexy feet!!"

What Super Bowl?

Tonight DD1 and I had the house to ourselves.  The noisier half of our family (including the dog) headed to a friend's to watch the super bowl and we spent the evening doing anything but (a few sour grapes from a devoted Packers fan).  Following our anti-superbowl agenda, we boldly watched Toddlers and Tiaras while we indulged in mounds and mounds of nachos.  Count on TLC for a few shows to make you are glad you are sane (and even sometimes, confirm you are sane).  Watching pageant parents parade their "sexy babies" (see Tom Hanks clip posted next for reference on this) around is enough to make anyone feel a little superior in the parenting department.  And lest we feel good about gorging on nachos, the next show highlighted the story of a 600 pound woman confined to her bed eating fried foods and drinking pop.  Lesson learned.  We ate nothing more for the rest of the evening.  When the TLC program that followed started with the words, "The orgasm....", I lunged at the tv and turned it off.  On to project B--making tomorrow night's dinner.  We have some friends who celebrate Chinese New Year and always make us some Chinese Dumplings.  This year did not disappoint, they were as fabulous as always.  Only this year I got smart and decided to ask for the recipe.  DD1 and I made our first batch tonight and despite her disgust at handling raw pork, all went smoothly.
What a gift tonight was--whether we were just hanging out watching bad tv (training in the art of guilty pleasure starts early in our home), overeating (sadly, another family tradition), or learning to make something new, I truly enjoyed every minute of our time together.  I know teens can be difficult but under the eye rolls and the one-liners, my teen is a pretty great kid and I am grateful to share moments like these with her.

A Message To You Rudy

Loved The Specials in high school. Love The Specials now. That's what we're missing these days, a little brass and a little ska.

Pity Party---Table for One

For the past week or so I have indulged in a private Pity Party.  No guests.  Just me allowed.  Really and truly a pathetic little affair.  While I thought I was chugging along rather nicely on the outside, I am clearly not the oscar winning performer I had imagined I was.  Funnily enough, the raiding of the party started with a complete (well maybe not complete but there was not much control involved) meltdown over something that while admittedly was rather irksome, did not deserve the response it received.  Nor did the perpetrator of the offence.   Although, in my shallow defence, how many times can you tell a child not to open their car door into another car?  And imagine they were 10 years old--that's like telling them 500,000 times.  But there I go again....must let it go.
Eventually we arrive at home and all the while, the whole event has percolated into a sludgy mess in our brains.  DD2 goes into pleasing mode (and why is it that she only goes into pleasing mode when I am completely at wit's end??  I suspect I could fill some kind of psych text on that subject) and DD1 begins to shut down.  My happy-go-lucky girl is sullen and withdrawn and I am to blame.  Not a lovely thing to look in the face--downright ugly in fact.  And as I take this all in, it slowly sinks in--and trust me I am a slow learner--that I just need to get a grip and get over myself.  It was really just that simple.  And so I did.  And today was a better day.  Go figure.  Yes, work still is a swirling pit of chaos and yes, DH's health is still in limbo but I just don't have to live in all of that.  In fact, I choose not to live in all of that.  So far, so good.