Happy Gregorian New Year

The boys are bouncing off the wall. Three hours to go until we leave for our annual New Year's Eve party and their best friends will be there too! This annual event started as 1999 became 2000 and several of us wanted to be able to celebrate with our friends AND with our children. This went so well that the same group (for the most part) has continued every year since.

There is a theme every year. We have dressed in 70's garb and eaten 70's grub. We have relived the 80's. We have dressed in our best clothes and in our best costumes (as our favourite TV personalities -- that was the year we dressed baby Quinn as Baby New Year from the old stop-animation show with Rudolph etc.) This year we are to come bearing food and beverage from our favourite places in the world. Doug will don his kilt and take some Scottish beer to enjoy with his fried snacks. I will wear normal clothes (as I did when I was in Belgium) but take two consumable items for which Belgium is known: chocolate and beer!

It is my turn to drive so I will mostly drink the Gini Grenadine as I did when I was there almost 20 years ago. Doug will enjoy my Belgian beverages.

Tomorrow we will spend time with friends from Kitchener that we just don't see often enough, no matter how hard we try to make it work.

We hope you and yours are well and that you have a fantastic party tonight and phenomenal 2007!!

Boxing Day 2006

Whew! We made it through. We were touch and go for a while there but in the end all played out exactly as it was supposed to.

As I believe I have previously posted, I had a client (#1) due December 21st. I also had a pre-eclamptic mom (#2) due January 17th but likely to be induced any time. Saturday I got a call from client #2 that her blood pressure was WAY up and the doctor was starting the induction. It may be a day or two but that is what I could expect. Great! December 23rd and a houseful of people arriving on the 25th. Nothing happened on the 23rd.

The afternoon of the 24th I received a call from client #1 informing me that her contractions were about 9 minutes apart but they had been inconsistent all day. Should she travel the 30-40 minutes north to Orangeville for Christmas dinner with her family? Sure, I say. Go and don't forget to have a glass of wine to see if we can get this whole process to slow to a stop.

No sooner am I off the phone with number one and number 2 calls to let me know that they have given her another Cervadil and that nothing is really happening. Perfect. I make sure the rice stuffing is cooked and the cranberries are ready in case I miss dinner on the 25th.

At 7:45 p.m. on the 24th client #1 calls, contractions are 5 minutes apart and they really hurt. She was having trouble smiling and being nice at her cousins so they have decided to head home from Orangeville. Her husband wants to keep going to the hospital but since they have their 3 year old with them we agree to meet at their place in 30 minutes. They will call the babysitter so she can meet us at the house and take the 3 year old.

Great, at least one of them is doing something. If I can get one to deliver then I will feel less stressed. Hold that thought . . . the phone is ringing again.

Hi Client #2! Your water just broke. You're kidding. Are you contracting? No? Okay. Try to get some sleep now while you can. (S#!T!)

I practically break my neck to get to the house of #1 to find them and get her in my car to take to the hospital. Her husband will follow once he gets the 3 year old settled.

I speak again to the husband of client #2 and advise that if they offer a sedative she should take it as she has not slept all day and her body will kick in any time. I advise him that I am with client #1 but that he should call and leave a message on my phone with any updates. I would go straight to them after #1 delivered if need be.

#1 Mom is now contracting 2-4 minutes apart and I am driving as fast as I dare. I don't want to scare the baby out and definitely not in the car. We stop once so she can vomit on the side of the road (at least I got warning) and we arrived at the hospital at 9:00 pm. Mom is admitted and is 4 cms. dilated. Great!

#1 Dad arrives at 9:30 and at 10:00 we go into the whirlpool room to help her relax. There is one fluorescent light so we close the drape but leave the door open with the light off to provide a moderately comfortable environment.

At 10:30 she tells me she needs an epidural. I mention this to the nurse who says the anesthetist is in with another case and will be at least two hours. "Besides, I think she is pretty much ready to go" I am told by the RN. (We had a FANTASTIC RN, btw.)

I go back and relate this news to #1 Mom who is not happy with me. We get her out of the tub, at her request, get her into her room and (at 10:50 p.m.) she is found to be 8-9 cms. dilated and while being checked her water breaks. Things get more intense. Mom is coping REALLY well but is a little freaked out at how fast it is going.

At 11:10 she has a slight anterior lip but doesn't want it moved for her so we wait through another contraction or two. Now it's 11:20 and she is pushing. Wow! The head is right there. As our RN reaches for the call button to call the Dr. he walks in behind her. 11:30 p.m. and we have a beautiful baby boy, 7 lbs. 12 oz. He is pretty cute. Seems to know what the breasts are for too!!

I am home around 2:00 a.m. No news from #2 Mom (who is now #1 Mom and really my only client of concern). I leave a message for them at the hospital to let them know to call me whenever they need me. I go to bed and toss and turn for the next several hours. He finally calls at 8:00 a.m. Nothing is happening yet but she is really uncomfortable. I remind him that I can go to them at any time and he says he knows this. He will call when there is something to tell but right now, they have indicated it is still early and they don't want to bother me on Christmas. "It's my job! That's what you've paid me for!" "I know. I'll call when there is something to report."

He did call again at 10:00 or so. The baby was almost 2 hours old and was born within a couple of minutes of his call to me. I missed it. My heart is broken because I know she was scared and was worried about bothering me. The baby went to the special care nursery and will be there all week as he is not due for a couple of weeks and was not breathing well on his own at birth. I guess I will do some extra work for them in their home once they get baby home.

Two boys in 9 hours. It's my new record, beating out the June 03, 2006 record of two births in 11 hours 40 minutes (although I did make it to both of those).

My family (immediate and extended) is great and we had a lovely time together yesterday. My brother and Chantel were greatly missed as was my BIL, Nino who was not able to come from Calgary this year. We shall see him in April when he and Jen get married and Nath and Chantel will, hopefully, be home this summer.

Now that Rhonda and Chris won't likely be getting married this year (maybe next but who knows) there isn't the same incentive for them to come back in time for any special events. (Except mom and dad's 40th this summer! That would be a great present for them!!)

Take care and hopefully I'll get a chance to write again before the new year!

It is now winter - knitting news

We have welcomed the new morning light (behind the clouds of rain) and are thinking of all of the very special people in our lives and the new paths they are taking. In this season of new life, new light, re-newed inspiration I am trying to set new paths for myself. I have spent a great deal of time in the recent past working on my application to school for next fall. My hope is to get it finished by the new year so that I can have a few friends review it for content and grammar.

The past two years I have taken the boys into Kensington Market in Toronto for the Festival of Lights on the Solstice. This year was to be no exception but my body had other plans. I dropped the boys off at Adam's for a play while I doing some last minute shopping and I found myself short of breath, crying uncontrollably and feeling generally overwhelmed. I called Doug to talk to him and the poor guy was trying to calm me down over the phone while working at the same time. (He has been on a shoot at Toyota this week, and last, of the Tundra and it is a LOT of work.) He convinced me to listen to my body and do what feels right. I will continue to feel guilty for abandoning my friend, Christi and her family. They are who we usually attend with and I didn't get to let her know until the time she was expecting us to arrive. I know she understands and that the guilt is mine alone, I feel it anyway though.

While it broke my heart I knew that it would be pushing it to head in the Festival and so when Steph brought the boys home I talked to them about staying in. I needed some home time. These feelings of being overwhelmed are part of what I resent the most about this time of year. I love giving the boys their Yule gifts, waiting for Santa on Christmas and seeing family and friends but I hate the hustle and bustle of the season. Everyone is cranky. People drive like morons. I hear "Peace" and "Joy" preached out of every mouth yet rarely witness it in practice. I don't know. I guess that's a big part of what was bothering me yesterday. I was so sad not to do this very special celebration with my boys. We had a fun celebration at home though and read a story about the Solstice before we ate our special Yule meal. Last night it was tacos, tomatoes, and all things red (including wine). Tonight it is "water" and so it will be all things liquid (again, wine qualifies) and some seafood.

The boys loved their first gifts of the season. Fergus received an electronic lab and is learning about how to create electrical currents. He and Doug and then he and Jennifer were playing at it last night. Given how reluctant he was to turn it off and go to bed at 11:00 I would be surprised if it isn't the first thing he does when he gets up.

Jennifer has been here since Monday and it is SO AMAZING to have her back in town. I KNOW she will be exhausted to the core when she goes home. There is always so much for her to see and do while here and it makes me sad that she gets so little time to just sit. She is leaving on Monday, after dinner, so we get to have her home for a full week this time. For that we are extremely grateful.

Quinn received a Dora sleeping bag and while many would think that that isn't really a gift for a 5 year-old, he would beg to differ. He is still asleep in it as I write. His eyes were as wide as they can possibly get when he opened it last night and that was worth it. Doug asked me a couple of times if I was sure he would like it and I was. I am glad I was right!!

I gave Doug a pizza cutter ( since he broke the handle off our last one and promised to get it replaced -- two years ago) and a gift certificate for a massage. We used to get massages for one another all of the time but we have stopped and I admit that I really miss it.

Doug got me a much needed hair dryer (my last one was so old it was melted in spots) and (the piece de resistance) a set of DENISE interchangeable knitting needles. I am SO happy. I have been looking at them for a long time but couldn't justify the purchase. Now I can knit anything I'd like and work towards knitting half as well as my friends, Suna and Barbara. They are my knitting inspirations. (They inspire me in a lot of ways, actually. They are both very strong womyn who have had crappy things happen in the recent past and yet they seem to always rise above the carp.)

I am part of an incredible online community of womyn and we had our annual gift exchange this week. This community is international and we managed to get ourselves together to make or buy gifts to send around the world. We then set a date on or around the 21st of December and join together in an online chat. We take turns opening our gifts, reporting what we've received, and "talking." This year a few recipients were able to post photos of their gifts too so that gave it a new dimension.

My sender lives in New Zealand and I was the lucky recipient of a shell necklace and some matching earrings. I can wear them while I eat my fair trade chocolate that found it's way into the package. She also sent a tea towel, some postcards, a magnetic notepad for the fridge, and a birthday calender. I was truly spoiled again this year.

I should run. Fergus is just up, a little early for him, and is asking for food. I'll put my mom hat back on and hope that the weather is traditional and seasonal for you wherever you are. This climate crisis has me particularly worried this year. We are supposed to have temps. 5-7 degrees above seasonal here. Take care and stay dry.

A lucky week

The boys came home on Wednesday and it was amazing to see them again. I am always astounded how much I can miss them when they are only gone for a couple of days. They had a GREAT time with Nani and Papa and got a lot of work done on the go-kart. (It will require another trip north to finish.)

I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to two feasts this week to celebrate the pending holiday. The midwives had their dinner in Mississauga last night and it was a great opportunity to see them again. There were a few missing, that's the life of a midwife, but most were there and it felt really good. Speaking with them reminds me why I still want to apply for school for the fall.

Today the OBs from Trillium had their annual lunch at the Waterside Inn in Mississauga. A couple of the midwives were there as well as the nurses from L&D and the LC's from the Family Care Centre. I was the only educator to go but that was the case last year too. It is nice to be invited to occasions like that.

Doug and Ferg are snuggled up watching a movie while Quinn plays Game Cube. I think tonight might be a great time for me to catch up on some reading. My client (due Dec. 21) was having some signs of pre-labour today so it will certainly be an early night, in case I have to get up.

Hope you are having fun preparing for the holiday season!

The boys are away

About a month ago Fergus came up to me and asked if he could go and see his Papa for a few days. "Why?" I asked, curious. (It is important to note that while Fergus LOVES seeing and spending time with his Nani and Papa and he asks if we can go there, this is the first time he has asked to go without Doug or me there.) "I want Papa to make a go-kart with me." "Does Papa know you want to make a go-kart?" "Yeah. We made part of one before but this time I want to finish it or make a different one. Can you call them and see if I can come visit?"

Hmmmm . . . time alone for Doug and I without either one of us needing to be out of town or the country???

"Sure!" I rapidly crossed the room, grabbed the phone and called my parents to make the arrangements before our indecisive child changes his mind. He never did. A month later and he and Quinn left Sunday for three days at Nani and Papa's. I speak with them every evening and it sounds as though the go-kart is really coming along. I miss them like crazy!

Is it terrible that I am half hoping they will come home and let me know that the go-kart isn't finished and will require more time up north in a month or two? I want them here with me but I have been enjoying having the house to myself during the day and some time alone with Doug in the evening. We even got some holiday gift shopping done this week too!

I was out this afternoon for coffee with a friend. I love Karen but she and I both work such different hours that it is often hard to have time to get together. She and I are part of the same book club and even that is feeling hard to schedule lately. It was wonderful to get out and visit with her. She and I met through La Leche League when I was pregnant with Fergus. She was the Leader who encouraged me to look into leadership and I will forever for grateful for that.

We met at the coffee place downtown which is right by the butcher so I popped in there first to order the turkey. Whew! One more thing off my list. I picked up supplies for cookie making and will get that started in a few minutes. The boys decorated the tree last Friday and you know what??? The place is starting to look festive. It isn't looking likely that we will have any snow for the holidays but we are getting used to that. I am just grateful that we will have lots of family around.

Doug and I have decided to try something new this year. I have long struggled with the celebration of Yule/Solstice on the 21st and Christmas on the 25th. One reflects what I spiritually believe and the other is what our extended family believes. This year someone on one of the pagan parenting lists I am on was kind enough to let us know how she works through respecting both within her family.

On the 21st they take their Yule log and drill holes into it, making it a candle holder. There are five places for candles. On the first night they light a red candle, celebrating Fire. They eat a meal that has "firey" elements (i.e.: tacos, roasted red pepper dip, BBQ'd anything). Each member of the family opens one of their Yule gifts.

Each night for the next three nights they light an additional candle. On the 22nd they would light the blue candle for Water and eat fish/seafood, soup, or something that has a very high water content like cucumber, celery or watermelon. Everyone opens another gift.

The 23rd would be a chance to celebrate Earth by lighting a green candle and eating root vegetables and or animal that lives off the land followed by the third gift. Finally the 24th is the night to light the white candle and celebrate Air. The meal is all light and fluffy like eggs, pancakes, angel food cake and the fourth gift is opened.

The morning of the 25th is when the brown candle is lit. A celebration of all of the previous elements and invoking that of the Spirit. Who embodies the Spirit or renews faith and hope for children on the 25th? Santa! Their final gift will be from Santa and the menu for the feast that day will have items which reflect each of the previous four days elements.

I am excited about finding a way to tie the two holidays together for the boys. It won't be what my parents want in that they would like us to observe the 25th as a celebration of Jesus' birth but I can't do that any more than they can be comfortable celebrating the birth of the Sun King on the 21st. We will continue to agree to disagree and hopefully this will be a positive compromise. I am just so excited about having everyone here. I am really hopeful Nathan and Chantel have access to Skype for that day so we can talk to them and see them. The holidays are hard with family so far away.

Hope your holiday preparations are coming together.
Take care

I am set for sending my Yule Gift

I have some WONDERFUL online friends and every year many of us group together and send parcels to be opened during an international Yule chat. This will be the fourth time I will have participated and tonight I finished preparing the gift for my recipient. I can't wait to post it tomorrow. She will be so excited. This group of friends is incredible. We have seen one another through every possible up and down and group of people could experience and yet we are still as strong as ever even though many of us have never actually met IRL. They are the reason I turn on my computer every day. To you (and you know who you are) thanks!!!

It has been a predictable week. My sister and I went to the December 6th candle-light vigil at U of T last night. It was incredibly sad and at the same time, I was so angry. We run to stand still. Things never really change and year after year we attend this vigil and mourn the lives of women and children lost to the anger and hatred of their partners (or co-parents) and yet the numbers never go down. It can be difficult to feel optimistic. I will try to do my part and help my children learn to respect everyone around them. Violence never fixes any problems.

The weather is cooling down and we finally have a skiff of snow. It isn't enough for tobogganing or making snowmen yet but the boys haven't figured that out. Fergus was dragging Quinn up and down the street in their toboggans the other evening without realizing how much easier that will become with a few more inches of snow. It is great to see their enthusiasm. Someday they may resent the snow as much as I do so for now, I will encourage them to get out and have fun.

You too!

Well, we are on the other side

We should be good to go by the beginning of March. You don't need a lot of information (I am sure) but suffice it to say, we have taken measures to significantly decrease the likelihood that Fergus and Quinn will ever have another sibling.

It was a quiet weekend around these here parts. After Doug's parts were, well, parted . . . he took to bed and we watched a lot of TV. He laughed at one time at the idea he was spending so much time in front of the television. I guess that's what it takes to get him to slow down enough to rest and veg out.

I went out on Friday afternoon and picked up some videos for all of us to watch or for Doug and the boys to watch on Saturday while I was at work. I grabbed You, Me and Dupree for Friday evening and the new Superman for Saturday. I also got them some holiday episodes of The Simpsons.

Before I get back to the Friday night movie I must first take you back about 9 years. Many of you already know that my elevated blood pressure created a health situation which resulted in me needing to spend a great deal of time on bed rest while I was pregnant with Fergus. I was new in Georgetown and didn't have any family or friends in town to come by and keep me company. Because of my loneliness (we didn't subscribe to cable television then either) Doug made it his job to keep me in movies that he knew he wouldn't want to see. He came home one day with several romantic comedies for me. One looked promising (about a couple having a baby together) and I popped it into the VCR.

**Side note: If you know what the name of this movie is, please let me know. It is not Jersey Girl and the characters in this film are British. That's all I can tell you though.**

The movie opened with a couple, clearly in love, preparing for the birth of their first child. I was really getting into this. Doug had definitely chosen well. Things came to a crashing end as the womyn then died during the birth process. My blood pressure flew through the roof and I quickly dialed his cell phone to ask just "What the he!! were you thinking, renting a movie where the mother dies during childbirth???" The poor guy. He had NO idea. He read the back and of course it didn't say what happened so he thought it would be great for me. The father goes on to find new love and raise his child and heal and everything else but man, that was NOT how I wanted to think birth might unfold.

Anyway, that is how we experienced life as we moved towards having our first baby. Now that we have committed to being finished with our childbearing years, I managed to rent a movie that uses the word vasectomy more times than I think I have EVER heard it said in a combination of all of the movies I have ever seen in my life altogether. If you are looking to hear how a vasectomy can be used as a plot line in a film, I recommend watching You, Me and Dupree.

I am being called to play a game of LIFE (ironic isn't it, given the topic of this post??) and should sign off!

Until next time!

An Inconvenient Truth

What a week. I think I know why I don't write more often than I do. I am never home! I had a client go into labour last week, while I was at another meeting with a different client, and so I went to Mount Sinai for the night. Her labour slowed so we finally went home to bed around 5:00 a.m. It happily started again on Saturday though and so I went from class at Trillium to birth at Mount Sinai and then back to Trillium on Sunday (there were 4 hours early Sunday morning where I was able to go home and change my clothes and sleep for a few minutes). A much loved, much wanted baby girl arrived at 4:11 on Sunday and everyone is doing VERY well!!

Last night Doug, Fergus and I (and sometimes Quinn) watched a movie that I wish everyone could see! An Inconvenient Truth is the new Al Gore release and it reminded me why we need to be more responsible. He talks of the world being a completely different place in 50 short years and that means that this chaos and catastrophe will most certainly be here in my children's lifetimes and very possibly during my own.

It's appalling the role big business plays in manipulating the governments of the world instead of it being the other way around. It disgusts me the way people treat the world as if it is disposable. I have been places where I have gone through the garbage pail in someone's kitchen to take the recyclable items out and put them in the recycling box. I often go back into someone's home to turn off their lights because they have left them on when they go out.

I am far from perfect myself and am certainly not without blame. We try to be environmentally responsible and eco-friendly but there are definitely days the boys shower longer than they should or we drive when we could just as easily walk. (And no, I don't think those are our only faults.) I just become so angry when people don't even try.

You can imagine the comments I receive when I am teaching a prenatal class and mention the idea of using cloth diapers. You know what? The people who seem to be most convinced that cloth is more work than paper are the same people who have never actually tried it. Isn't that odd?

I suspect this is going to stay with me for a while. It is the kind of movie I see myself watching every few months or even once a year to remind myself the value of sticking with what we know to be the better path.

I really hope there IS a place for our children to have children.

I'll write again soon. Maybe I'll be more positive next time . . . probably . . . Friday is V day!

A week in a moment

This has been another busy week.

What has happened?? Well, we found out friends of ours are planning a move across the country to take up residence on "the rock." He will have an opportunity to work in Ship Design which is a wonderful opportunity for them and therefore, despite the vacancy it will leave here, we are filled with excitement and anticipation for all the future may hold for them. We love the east coast and, while never having been to Newfoundland ourselves, have often spoken of moving to Halifax to live at the ocean. You never know how our paths may cross again.

The boys were quite restless by the end of the week after the endless rain we have had. It hasn't been as torrential here as it was in B.C. but it has been wet enough to warrant flood warnings. Can you spell S-T-I-R-C-R-A-Z-Y!?!?!? This coupled with the headcold that has been passed through all of us now and it has been sooooooo-o-o-o much fun!!!

We purged the boys room and managed to find some items that we thought were previously lost. We try to have a big purge before the holiday season every year and this time we managed to get rid of many old and partial toys that have been clung to for the past several years (and many moves). Fergus is beginning to let go of the "little" boy he once was. (Not that he is REALLY big.) He recognises that he doesn't play with the big trucks as much or the little figures as often as he does his Lego or Bionicles, etc.

This afternoon I called home from the hospital as I do every time I teach on a weekend. I spoke with all of my family members and when Doug took the phone he asked me out on a date. How could I say no??? When the two 12 year-olds we usually use were busy, Doug's mom agreed to babysit and he made reservations at the local Greek restaurant. It is only a few blocks from home and we were able to walk there and back. Grandma came upstairs and made chocolate cupcakes with the boys while we were gone and the world was a wonderful place for everyone!!!! (This restaurant even re-corks the wine and we walked home with our open bottle in a brown paper bag. We felt pretty classy!)

The boys are starting to get excited about the coming holiday season and now that the local Santa Claus parade has finished, they are asking about decorations. It boggles my mind that they can even be thinking about holidays when I haven't even thought about gifts yet but I guess that is the difference between parents and children.

Hope life continues to be wonderful for you!!!

What you may or may not know about me . . .

So Suna took this from Barbara and I thought it looked neat. Here it is with my responses in brown.

Have a great evening!!!

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (Blue Mountain – does that count??)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula (RIP, Chichi)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree (it's my religion)
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (a college bowl game in New Orleans)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse (with a special filter)
34. Ridden a roller coaster (but I do not like it)
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (whenever Abby and I went to the bar)
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment (almost everyday)
39. Had two hard drives for your computer (but I don’t know why – ask Doug)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends (present tense)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country (Belgium, 1988)
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach (I grew up close to a large body of water)
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (SuperMOM everyday!!!)
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football (lots when young)
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites ( England, Wales and Scotland in 1997)
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest (well, funniest costume 10/31/06)
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage (love it, regardless of my "talent")
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently

95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (in the process thereof)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart (my parents – I think I have made it up now but it still haunts me)
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears – my nose
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (never will, either)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read (Timothy Findley)
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident (thankfully it was a collision including just my car and me)
150. Saved someone's life (does it count if you threaten someone’s life and then don’t follow through?????)

It's all fun and games . . .

I came home the other night and Doug had the Risk game out and he and the boys were playing it. I have to say that I think Risk is a little over their heads but they LOVE board games these days. We have played at least one game per day for the last several weeks.

The games started last spring when I saw a deck of UNO cards at the Wal-Mart or Zellers store in town. I couldn't resist buying them. I had always wanted UNO cards when I was little and we did not get them so this was more for me than it was for the boys.

Around that same time we started to implement the Friday night "Family Night" rule. With me working as many evenings and weekends as I do and with me also having meetings many evenings of the week, the boys were feeling like we did not ever have time together. I promised not to schedule work on Fridays and we have been trying to make sure that we spend time together doing things that are fun. UNO was perfect. Fergus could play alone or with either Doug or me while Quinn needed help (he no longer needs help).

Once they got the hang of UNO other games sprung up. Fergus' Battleship game that he got for Yule or Christmas came out again with fervour. So did the Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly and Go Fish games we had around. Now we also posess Life. (It has completely changed since I was a kid and it a different kind of fun to play.)

As I say though, I don't know if I think Risk is appropriate. I may try to discourage them from playing war-type games until they are old enough to drive or some such thing.

As someone who loves board games though, I must admit I am having a great time with them. It is fun to have something like this to do with them to watch them grow and learn.

A sunny Monday afternoon

Just a quick note to say hello. I have had a long and relaxing morning. Being Monday, Doug is home and is hanging out with us so I was allowed to stay in bed longer than the boys and have slowly begun the day. It is a lovely sunny day here in southern Ontario with a crisp and cool breeze gently drying the clothes on the line.

We had a wonderful weekend. The boys hung out with their friend Adam while I was at work on Saturday and when I got home Adam's mom called to ask if the boys could stay for dinner and then we would go over to have an evening of family games. How could I say no? We had a quiet dinner alone and went over to play pool, ping pong, air hockey and table hockey. It was so much fun. The boys had a blast and Quinn is already asking when he can shoot billiards again (it had been his first time playing and he LOVED it).

Sunday after work I met Doug and the boys at a birthday party for the daughter of friends of ours. Many of you may remember that a client of mine delivered her first child at 34 weeks and he was not alive at birth. This couple has become very close to me over the years and last November she gave birthday to a healthy baby girl! Mia turned one last week and as you can imagine the event was celebrated with a large family party plus myself and one other friend of the family. Fergus is learning the gentle art of patience. He did not really want to go to a party for a one year old. He knew he would likely be the eldest child there and he patiently lasted a couple of hours before he asked if he could go home.

I am still waiting to hear from my client. She is scheduled to be induced tomorrow evening if she has not gone into labour on her own before then. We shall see. I have also had three couples ask me for labour support in the past two days so I am feeling very confident in my abilities.

Hope you and yours are well. If you do take the time to check in here then please leave a quick note to let me know you were by!

A cool, crisp autumn day!

It has been a wonderful week. Life has slowed down a lot in the past few days. It was glorious last night to know that I didn't have anywhere to go and that that is what is on the agenda for this evening too. Now I am still on-call for a birth (she was due on the 31st) and I wait for the call to come that she is in labour but until then I will savour the time with my family.

The weather has turned cold and it is clear that the seasons have begun to change. I went out today to take down the Halloween decorations. I had pruned back most of my perennials before putting the decorations out and now that everything is gone it is looking kind of sad and lonely. Quinn took the prize for "Best Question of the Day" yesterday when he asked how many days were left until Christmas. HUH? How did we get to Christmas already?

With Fergus at his Homeschooling Enrichment Program in Eden Mills today, I have the day to spend with Quinn. Until now he was interested more in spending his quality time with the Game Cube instead of me but now I am being summoned to play a game of Go Fish! I will humbly walk toward my defeat! This kid rocks at card games. He's a shark!

Enjoy the lovely fall day!!!

Trick or Treating!

This year the boys dressed as a dead ninja (Fergus, on the left) and a mummy (Quinn, on the right). Their best friend, Adam was here too. Given that it is my birthday, it is pretty common for our friends to do Halloween with us and we have an informal pizza dinner before we trick-or-treat and a glass of wine after.

The boys and I had a FANTASTIC day together. We started slowly by laying in bed reading stories about Samhain from our "Circle Round" book. We went to Quinn's library program, and then spent the afternoon hanging out together at home.

Doug gave me a gift certificate for a massage for my birthday. That's the kind of gift I LOVE!

Have a great New Year!!

Samhain approaches

Well, the holiday season is here again. We just got past Thanksgiving and now we are getting to Samhain/Halloween. The boys spent last evening planning and carving their pumpkins. You might have guessed that I helped Quinn a bit and that was how he wanted it but I can assure you that the design is his alone.

Now we have to get the costumes ready. Quinn and I went to the store for some cotton today to get his mummy costume ready. Fergus wants to work with last years look so it is already one we posess. He wants it shredded though so that he can be recognised as the "dead ninja" that he is.

We are meeting here again this year. We are usually a group of three or four families and we have dinner together, go out, come back, have a glass of wine while the kids count their "loot" and (for our family anyway) the arrange for the "candy fairy" to come and magically change the candy into a wanted toy or money towards a wanted toy. Fergus is more committed to the idea of the candy fairy then Quinn. Quinn really wants to do what Fergus does though and so I suspect we will get another year without the candy hanging around. The reality is that the boys always forget when the *do* have treats in the house so I can't imagine that they would remember to eat much of the candy.

Tonight I had the gift of time with some local friends. We had a "women's night out" and went to the new Thai place in town. The food was GREAT and so was the company. I came home to a husband who had missed me and wanted some time alone so we left the boys downstairs at Grandma and Grandpa's house and went for a long walk in the crisp fall air. Now all three of my boys are crashed out in the bed beside me. Ahhhhh, I love having them so close.

Now it is sleep time to get ready for a visit tomorrow with friends from Burlington.

I'll probably post again before next week but in case I don't, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Following their lead

A couple of friends have posted this on their sites and I thought it looked fun. This is a little bit of information about me.


"If the entire internet jumped off a cliff, would you?"
Like Barbara, I don't like heights. I don't even like to see other people too close to a cliff. In fact, I would likely try to encourage them to come away from the edge as it makes me feel too stressed out with them hanging around the cliff too much.

1. FIRST NAME? Samantha

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? yes, my grandfather. I never had the privilege to meet him but know his name was Sam.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? When I realised that someone I really love had lied to me and had been lying to me for a while

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It depends on the day, the time of day and what I am writing about

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? tuna I guess. I prefer lunch veggies to lunch meats

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I would think that I would see through me too easily.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? I guess this is although it is new. We'll see how long it lasts

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Not without having the lives of my children threatened if I didn't

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? hot: oatmeal with raisins, cold: Weetabix

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? no, they don't have ties.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I think people often think I am strong because I am an extrovert. I am much less strong than I would like to be.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Mapleton's Organic Cappaccino

14. SHOE SIZE? 9.5-10 US

5. RED OR PINK? dark red -- really as far from pink as I can get!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? that I can fly off the handle very easily

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? the relatives I never got a chance to meet or to know well (ie: grandparents -- all four -- and a couple of cousins who died very young)

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? only those who want to take the time to fill it out

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? green scrubs from the hospital with a black sweatshirt overtop. No socks or shoes (I can't have anything extra on my feet

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Mapleton's Organic Cappaccino Ice Cream!!! YUM!!!

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Quinn snoring gently beside me in the bed

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? terra cotta

23. FAVORITE SMELL? fresh lavender

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? my husband

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? hair then voice

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? yes, very much!!!

27. FAVORITE DRINK? non-alcoholic: water, alcoholic: good quality red wine

28. FAVORITE SPORT? swimming and walking

29. EYE COLOR? Blue

30. HAT SIZE? I've never measured. Smaller than Doug's but bigger than Ferg and Quinn

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no, I can't because of my blood pressure medication. My eyes are too dry from it that I can't wear contacts without them gooping up (that's a technical term)

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Thai or chinese

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I don't handle fear well. Happy I guess. (MY kids and husband love to see me cry at movies)

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer - definitely

36. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? chocolate pumpkin cheesecake

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? can't think of anyone. I may be surprised though. Tell me if you do fill this out!

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Nearly everyone.

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Three are two: Stitch 'n Bitch and Snowflower and the Secret Fan

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? I don't use a mouse pad, I usually use my pant leg or the table

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? We rented "Over the Hedge" and watched it as a family

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? My kids laughing those real belly laughs

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Verviers, Belgium

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? I love to talk to people and speak in public.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Fergus, Ontario

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I stole it from Barbara's blog!

Ottawa is rainy this time of year!

This picture is of the fire truck outside of the centre-block parliament building in Ottawa. It never made it to the national news but it was pretty exciting to us!





Okay! We are home! We had a wonderful time in Ottawa and I am so glad that I was invited on this adventure.

Teresa and I left on Wednesday morning and drove straight to the hotel. I had forgotten to write down the directions but was grateful to my memory as it got us there without any mix-ups. Diana and Brad were in the lobby and we had a chance to visit for a bit while we waited for our room to be ready. We were even able to arrange for a room two doors from theirs and that made the visit extra fun.

Diana and Brad invited Teresa and I to join them at a local restaurant for dinner and we settled into the old Victorian home cum fine dining room for the next three hours. My old (and that I mean the age of our friendship, not her actual age) friend from home lives and works in Ottawa. In fact, her office is literally beside the restaurant where we were dining. When she called me to see where we were we discovered that she was in the building next door and she decided to join us to eat. It was a fun and comfortable evening despite Pam being thrown in with people she did not know. She warmed easily to them (and how could she not?) and they to her (again, how could they not?).

After dinner Pam took all of us on a driving tour of Ottawa and we had a chance to see some sights, including the giant spider which made us laugh (and squirm). She dropped us off at the hotel and Teresa and I managed to keep Diana and Brad up until about 3 hours before they were planning on heading to the airport for an early morning flight. I know Teresa and I enjoyed the visit although we left feeling very guilty!

Thursday dawned dull and grey. Instead of walking to the press conference on breastfeeding to be taking place at the parliament buildings, we chose the taxi route. We got ourselves in and through security and even managed to get close to the front of the line at the information desk (to find out where we were to go) when the fire alarm sounded. Everyone was ushered out into the rain while the fire trucks pulled up. Apparently the ENTIRE building was evacuated. Someone later told us that he had never seen the entire building be evacuated before.

Once we were allowed in again we were subjected to standing in line and going through security again. It took a while but finally we made it to the 6th floor. We were sitting in the room where the press conference was to take place and had been waiting a few minutes when "Glenn" came in to tell us that they had had to cancel. Apparently the minister that Teresa was to be meeting with had fallen ill and we were not going to be able to meet. They also told us they had been trying to reach Teresa for a couple of days but because we had been in transit, they had missed her. Oh well, no harm to us and we had a morning filled with a different kind of excitement than we'd been expecting.

We quick trip to LLLC national office and we were back in Ottawa. We settled down to do some serious work on our seminars. We worked diligently for a while. Then Pam called. She wanted to meet for drinks and really, that sounded better than working on seminars. The powerpoint presentations were already done so we were just filling in details anyway.

We kept the evening short and were back to our room in time to watch CSI before heading to bed. We had lots of time to worry about our seminars the next day.

We had a warm and welcoming response to our presentations and there was talk at the end of the "How Birthing Affects Breastfeeding" seminar from some midwives that they wanted more information (meaning they wish more time had been dedicated to this topic). Maybe they will ask us back next year -- and perhaps offer to foot the bill this time! I was especially lucky to be able to look up and see half a dozen familiar faces in the group. Some of whom (Lilly and Christi) long time friends who started on their "helping womyn have babies" journey around the same time I did. They have already finished their midwifery studies while I am just planning to begin though.

We drove through a snowstorm to get home but when we did Doug greeted us in the driveway with empty hands willing to unload the car. After Teresa left he took me out for a drink and some time alone (the boys were at my parents for one more night).

That brings us to today. Doug and I did not sleep in but instead got up to get ourselves ready to go out for breakfast and then get home to make dinner for my parents. Mom and dad were bringing the boys home and planned to stay to eat so we could celebrate dad's pending 60th birthday. It was a fantastic night and both Henry and Christena (Doug's parents) were able to come up and join us for a glass of wine and a visit before dinner. (Another perk of them living so close.)

So, I don't do this blog thing as often as some of my more dedicated friends. What I lack in daily publishing though, I make up for in verbosity when I sit down and create a post!

I hope you are managing to stay warm and dry!

Take care
Sam

Hand In Hand with Sam

Okay. It has been a few days since I started this blog and already I am having trouble finding enough hours in the week to put additions up. When will they add a few extra hours in the day? Am I the only one with this wish?

What's going on with in Georgetown these days?

Well, I leave in 36 hours (or so) to head to Ottawa. I am going to be spending three days there and during that time I will get to visit with old friends and hopefully make some new ones.

The primary reason for the trip east is that my friend, Teresa, asked me to share the privilege of speaking with her at the Canadian Association of Midwives national conference. I have long been a fan of public speaking (indeed, I make my living at it) and was over the moon excited at this possibility.

At first we talked about heading east on Thursday to speak at the conference on Friday. Doug and the boys were going to meet me there and we would continue on for a couple more days. What I didn't realise when we were talking about this family mini-vacation, was that Doug was hoping to hear our presentation about the effects of birthing practices on the breastfeeding relationship. When he learned he wouldn't be able to attend the conference he reconsidered.

The timing of his reconsideration was great. I learned he was re-thinking his plans at the same time I learned that my New Jersey-based friend, Diana, would have some time off from her Canadian speaking tour on Wednesday and Thursday. We changed everything and Teresa and I decided to head to Ottawa on Wednesday to see our friend Diana.

My plan is to see my old friend Pam while away as well. I haven't seen her in a few years and it would be fun to have some time to catch up.

The boys will have a couple of days at my parents. My mom and I were talking tonight and she still wants them for two nights. Her timing is perfect too! She will pick them up Thursday afternoon after Fergus finishes at Shady Grove and will bring them home on Saturday afternoon. Since I will get home Friday night that will leave Doug and I with an evening alone to go out for a date. Wonder where he will take me?? I wonder if he knows I expect him to take me out?? I wonder if I should tell him or let him be surprised by my reaction Friday night??

Life is good! I will miss my family as though someone has removed a piece of my heart. At the same time I am so excited about the promise of what this coming week holds. I feel like a little kid anticipating a big holiday!

Take care and have a lovely week!

Hand In Hand with Sam

My first time

(The picture of Fergus is him at the wedding in Doug's regular tie - more about that in a moment. The other picture is my sister - Rhonda, my dad - Don, Quinn and I at the wedding on Saturday night)

Seems weird. Writing a blog I mean. I have done essentially this on many occasions but they were put together as big letters that I send out in mass emails. Now I can do it more often than a couple of times a year, keep the content a little more manageable for all (myself included) and let you know what is happening in our corner of the world.

Who would I share my blog information with??? Family? Probably. Especially those of you who are very far away. Friends? Yes. Again, especially for those who are far away. If I have sent this link to you it is because I value the space you take up in my life, heart and brain. Thanks for being there. Makes me glad I am here.

Not a lot new here. We spent the Canadian Thanksgiving being very thankful for a number of things. Saturday was spent with family, close and extended, as we celebrated my aunt's marriage with a man who clearly loves her. We were in the lovely village of Elora, ON. They are both retired and have been dating a couple of years. No time like the present to declare their love for one another in front of friends and family. I was quite surprised by my cousins though. Holy cow! I guess I thought they paused in time. Isn't it strange how we always do that? Become alarmed by the passing of time even though we live it every day?

I hadn't seen a good number of them since my cousin, Laura, was married when I was pregnant with Fergus. I will see if I can figure out how to post pictures on here so you can see my boys in their dapper wedding clothes. We had to talk Fergus out of wearing Doug's "Wolverine" tie and go with something a little more subdued for a wedding. The "Wolverine" tie reads something like: "valley o' death" or some such, equally inappropriate, words.

After the wedding we had a glorious Sunday, which we started slowly (getting up late after a lovely lie-in). After some french toast and coffee we went out to pick apples with friends. While it was a wonderful and warm autumn day, we were clearly not the only people who thought apple picking was a great way to celebrate the harvest season. Highway 25 was closed to northbound traffic so it took Brenda and Max a lot longer to get to the farm than they had planned. Brenda and Maxine have an idea that apple picking should be an annual harvest excursion and it's not that I think it is a bad idea but both of them were so frazzled by the time they got to the orchard that they probably would have been happier at home. Frayed nerves aside we found the tractor and went out to the apple picking locale and managed to bring home some Northern Spy, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and one or two Empire apples. I think we are set.

Brenda and Max then asked us to join them for their turkey dinner. It was fun to hang out with them and their families. It also gave me a chance to snuggle with their daughter (Riley). She's pretty cute.

Turkey dinner somewhere else wasn't enough though. I wanted some leftovers for ourselves. I bought a turkey to cook here and we had a full dinner with Doug's parents last night. It is handy to have them downstairs because it allowed Christena and I to share the cooking and clean up. "Many hands . . ." and all that.

Now we are back to work and "real life" and although I am supposed to be working on my part of the presentation for the conference in Ottawa next week I am figuring out how to start a blog. Perhaps I should get back to work.