Crazy Week
November 3, 2009 at 12:06 pm | In All Things Doodle, CKD, Caityisms, Daddy-O, Family Ties, Kidney Disease, Miscellaneous Crap, Sisters | Leave a CommentTags: Baby, CKD, facebook, Grandkids, IgA, kids, nephrophy, PD Catheter
We’re off to the hospital in a few minutes. Alex is having his PD Catheter removed because the silly thing never worked and it got infected. They want him healed before he has the transplant.
Tomorrow I’m taking the kids to the Doctor’s office to get their H1N1 shots. My doctor is holding a ‘clinic’ for his patients only on Wednesday (for high risk) and Saturday for the rest of us. I’ll go on Saturday. I’ll likely have to bring the kids too because Alex has Dialysis on Saturdays and Lord knows how long we’ll be at the office.
My Sitter’s daughter is really sick, fever, sore neck – don’t think it’s H1N1 but I’m kind of worried about her being there with the wee ones running around … She even has one of the babies sleeping in the sick girl’s room … eek.
Other than that it’s been three days I think since I’ve last visited Facebook. Apparently that’s the right amount of time to get over an addiction. I no longer think about having to check it all the time. Finally some peace.
Caity’s sleeping in her big girl bed now, has been for the past two nights. On Sunday night, we couldn’t wipe the smile off her face, she was so proud and happy to be in the bed. It was very cute, seeing her all snuggled, clutching her blankets to her face, smiling. She looked so little in the single bed, like a little baby in a crib. My baby’s growing up – she’ll be three in February. Eeek!
Lexy has decided that since Caity has a new bed, she wants one too. She tried to tell me that she’s nearly outgrown her current single bed (not likely). She said “look Mommy, my feet almost touch the bottom” … yeah almost touch the bottom in another two feet … nice try kid. You’re keeping that bed for a bit. At least until we get enough money to buy you a proper bedroom set.
A Frightening Thought
October 8, 2009 at 9:32 pm | In All Things Doodle, Caityisms, Daddy-O, Family Ties, Miscellaneous Crap, Sisters | Leave a CommentTags: birthday, kids, Things that kids say, Toddler speak
Alex and I had dinner tonight later than the girls. We made Spaghetti and the girls had grilled cheese sammies. Naturally they were still hungry and wanted to mooch some of what we had.
I made a small plate up for Lexy and I shared my dinner with Caity.
We were chatting, the four of us, while we ate. Lexy was trying to teach Caity the “proper” way to sing the “A-B-Cs”, Caity mooched most of my dinner like she’s never eaten before.
I said to Caity that when she’s a teenager, she was going to eat me out of house and home.
Lexy said, “Who Mom?”
“Both of you.” I said.
“I’m older.” Said Lexy. “When Caity’s a teenager, I’m going to be a parent!”
As the math calculation was quickly formulating in my head, I realized that when Caity turns 13, Lexy will only be 16. Her Dad and I looked at each other and eyes wide I said, “NO YOU’RE NOT!”. Obviously not realizing what she had just said, Lexy looked confused.
“Lex, you’re not even allowed to start dating until you’re 30!”
I know her comment was innocent. I know 6 is the new 15, but really why are kids in such a hurry to grow up? Slow down please my darling girl. Your sister is almost 3 and you’re both growing too fast as it is. Earlier in the evening when Lexy and I went to the store, she asked how old she had to be to sit in the front seat. I said 12. To her, the front seat is the power seat. It means you’re an adult because only big people get to sit in the front. Even at 6 years old, she understands the concept.
She’s desperate to sit up front, and I’m desperate to keep her in the back. I wonder where the time’s gone.
Tomorrow is my Parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary. If I make that milestone with Alex, I’ll be 89 years old. My Mom tells me all the time stories about when I was Lexy’s age. I know she wonders where the time’s gone.
Next week is Alex’s 30th birthday. I bet his Mom wonders where the time has gone too…
Bubbles!
September 11, 2009 at 9:33 am | In All Things Doodle, Contests, Family Ties, Miscellaneous Crap, Sisters | Leave a CommentTags: babies, Baby, kids, Voting
It’s Lexy’s turn to be in the voting spot light. I submitted a picture of Lexy when she was our Flower Girl at my Wedding three years ago. She would not hold still, she ran around, cried, Uncle Sean had to chase after her – she certainly tried to steal the spotlight!
Pretty Flower Girl
She was beautiful that day though 
Please go to this website to vote for Lexy: http://durhamregionbaby.com/2009/09/photo-friday-bubbles/
click on “Read the Rest of this Entry” and find Lexy’s name below the pictures. Click on her name, then click on “vote”.
Thanks!! 
Busy Day
September 8, 2009 at 9:17 pm | In All Things Doodle, Caityisms, Daddy-O, Family Ties, Miscellaneous Crap, Sisters, TV Season, Toeses and Noses | 1 CommentTags: Baby, birthday, Blake McGrath, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, kids, Natalie Dormer, So You Think You Can Dance Canada, The Tudors, Toddler, Voting
Today’s my 42nd Birthday. I feel old. I look at my hands and I see that they no longer have the youthful appearance they did in my 20’s and 30’s. They’re starting to look almost ‘alligator-skin-like’ in appearance.
My bones creak and ache, especially in the morning when I first get out of bed. It hurts to walk. It usually takes a few steps (like 20 or so) before I can walk properly.
The crows feet are creeping in, despite my best eye cream. I have laugh lines, although I haven’t laughed much lately.
I weigh the most I have ever in my life, a good 70 pounds or so above my high-school weight when I used to prance around in size 5 jeans and had a boyfriend who told me I was fat and should lose weight. That was the year I lost a few pounds before my high-school Hallowe’en Dance in Grade 11. I went as a french maid. A certain DB who was the cool guy in high school started looking me over from the tip of my very high heels, all the way up my fishnet stocking covered legs and up to a very revealing bust line. His only comment was … “nice…”. Believe me, a compliment like that from DB was like having James Dean check you out.
I said to my parents yesterday that I wish I had what I have now, but ten years ago. Lexy told me today that she’s very proud of me because I’m 42. Very sweet, I think.
Lexy started Grade One today and was so very proud. She was nervous, but we found her class and her new teacher and off she went. When she got home, she told Terri that she LOVED Grade One! It wasn’t hard, they didn’t do anything! She can’t wait until tomorrow. We didn’t want to burst her bubble and tell her that the real work will start tomorrow. At least she’s not scared of going now.
I took some pictures of Lexy pre-going to school this morning. Well, I tried to anyway ….
Caity insisted on being in the picture too
I wanted just a picture of Lexy, on her first day of school, like I had taken the previous two years. Not to be undermined, Caity insisted on smiling pretty for the camera.
Caity smiling "pretty" for the camera, Lexy patient as ever.
When I told Cait that I’d stop taking pictures if she didn’t smile nicely, we got this one:
... she was trying anyway
This is about as close as we were going to get. I gave up after this one:
The trials of being a big sister
This is Lexy on her first day last year. I think Cait must have been sleeping. Lexy really didn’t have a shiner, she got bit by a mosquito the day before and she was scratching so hard, she bruised her eyelid.
My sweet girl
Can you see how much she’s grown? Yes, she was a bit closer to the door in this last picture, but she stands just about as tall as the upper lock. In the pictures above, she’s a bit further away from the door, and is definitely higher than the upper lock. I just checked the wall markings where I have the girls’ height recorded. Last year, this time Lexy was a good three inches shorter. It’s crazy how much she’s grown … !
Blake McGrath is hot. Sorry, just thought I’d throw that one in. Must be a mid life fantasy or something. He reminds me of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (Henry VIII, the Tudors on CBC), who is so very hot. Yep, I’d hurt him.
The Tudors start up in 22 days on CBC . This season is amazing. I watched it earlier this year on the internet, can’t wait to watch it on the big screen.
We need new windows. We have those old, antiquated single paned glass kind that slide back and forth and keep absolutely nothing in or out. It will be nice to actually be warm in the winter and not feel any drafts when you walk past a window.
My husband brought me a beautiful bouquet of 12, count-em 12 long stem red roses to work. Gorgeous. It’s reasons like this that I keep him.
’nuff said.
A Toy Possessed .. ?
September 4, 2009 at 11:50 am | In All Things Doodle, Caityisms, Daddy-O, Miscellaneous Crap, Sisters, Toeses and Noses | Leave a CommentTags: kids, Baby, Toddler, Toys
It was late last night when Alex and I went to bed. Well, late when you consider he had to get up at 4:00 in the morning to go to work today. We were just shutting things down (turning the TV off, grabbing a glass of water, turning off the lights) and about to head upstairs when I heard one of the kids’ toys “talking” nearby.
In my family room, we have Caity’s playpen set up in the corner, in front of the unused fireplace. It currently serves as a toy box - one of a thousand we seem to have placed strategically around the house. I noticed earlier in the day the toy “talking” too but figured one of the kids had set it off.
At this point, the kids are asleep.
I hear the words “bye-bye” coming from the toy box.
I think I’m in a “Chuckie” movie.
Alex and I start searching the toy box for this errant toy. We. Can’t. Find. It. Anywhere. It’s still saying “bye-bye” every few minutes and then plays a ring tune.
It’s been about ten minutes since we started searching and by now it’s driving us crazy. We are on a mission to find this damn toy. Alex has the flashlight and I’m digging deep into the massive mound of stuff.
The sounds of “bye-bye” echo in the room. When we hear it, we stop, listen and move towards the sound. We still can’t find it.
We’ve pulled everything that’s big out of the toybox and put it on the coffee table, the chair and the couch (yes, it’s that full). We stop to listen, and hear nothing. We star putting the toys back, figuring it’s safe to go upstairs finally.
Nope.
“Bye-bye” and then “ring-ring”. GOOD LORD MAKE IT STOP! Now it’s mocking me ….
ARRRRRGGGH..g….hhh!!!
OK where is this bloody thing??
We had a baby monitor once (when Lexy was a baby) and it used to set off some of her toys containing batteries when the batteries were getting low. I figured maybe it was happening again or we were in a possessed household, one or the other.
Yet again we hear “bye-bye” and we take everything out of the toybox. Again. We have an idea of which toy it is that’s making the noise, we just can’t find the damn thing. We’ve looked under the toybox, beside the toybox and obviously inside the toybox. Finally I figured it out.
On a hunch, I reached down and lifted the mat that lies on the floor of the playpen.
There it was. A toy phone that was left on, and as the contents of the toybox shifted, the weight pushed against the mat which pushed the buttons which made the toy ring and then say “bye-bye”.
Alex happily switched the button to off, threw the toy phone back into the pile of toys and we went to bed. That’s half an hour of our lives we’ll never get back…
Time for a garage sale I think.
Chuckie's holding on line two...
Sleeping Baby
September 2, 2009 at 9:00 am | In Caityisms, Contests, Daddy-O, Family Ties, Miscellaneous Crap, Sisters, The Crap that Men Do | Leave a CommentTags: kids, babies, Voting, Baby, toddlers, Contest
I’ve entered another contest at Durham Region Baby. This time the theme is “Sleepy” and the prize is an adorable blanket. I put in the picture of the time when Alex was watching an infant Caity. She was colicky and fussy and just miserable that day and she didn’t let me sleep the night before – I had enough. Alex, as usual was playing Warcraft downstairs and I begged him to come upstairs and give me a break for a bit.
I went downstairs and played a few games on the computer myself. It was pretty quiet so I went back upstairs and found not only Caity asleep (sure NOW she falls asleep!) and her Dad was asleep on the couch too. Not one to pass up a warm corner, my female cat, Charlie crawled in behind Alex and fell asleep.
I had to grab the camera. And a nap. You just can’t turn down opportunities like that!
That's great babysitting, honey
If you could vote for this picture, I’d appreciate it. One vote per IP address, but you could vote at home and at work (on your lunch break of course)!
To vote, go to www.durhamregionbaby.com, find Caity’s picture (like above), scroll down to the bottom of the post and click on “Read the rest of this Entry”. There you will find Caity’s name (Caity – 2 or 3 months) and you should be able to vote.
Thanks in advance
Chasing Sleep … Part Deux
August 18, 2009 at 6:56 am | In All Things Doodle, Caityisms, Daddy-O, Family Ties, Miscellaneous Crap, Sisters, Toeses and Noses | 2 CommentsTags: Baby, kids, Toddler, Toddler meltdown, Toddler speak
80 Minute Relaxation Massage followed by a Spa-Pedi.
That’s all I could think of when Cait woke up at 4:00 angry again. I don’t know what she has to be angry about, she’s only two and a half. I’m the one who should be angry – she hasn’t let me sleep in about five nights. This morning she decided she was thirsty and was mad that she couldn’t find her water bottle. Alex went to get her one, she woke him up too with her yelling. I went back to bed and rolled around. And around. And around. And, well, it’s 6:38 and I’m still awake. I thought she would have been exhausted from attending Lexy’s soccer game in the heat and would sleep the whole night. Not so much. I’m sure I’ll be a zombie today, but hey, what else is new. I just keep repeating my mantra – spa day, spa day, spa day …
I leave in approximately 21 days. In approximately 21 days Lexy starts GradeOne. In approximately 21 days, I will miss my daughter’s first day of Grade One because I have have to catch a plane. In approximately 21 days is my 42nd birthday. In approximately 21 days my husband will have him umpteenth dialysis treatment. In approximately 21 days, I’ll get to sleep again, although probably not because the Hotel Room will be too quiet without the kids anda snoring Husband.
On a side note: Alex gave the kids a bath on Saturday before my Parents’ visit. I always say to Caity when she’s done her bath that she’s so clean, her toes-bum-arm-nose-whatever is so clean it looks extra-yummy. I had to go grocery shopping and when I came back, the kids were clean and smelling like blueberries.
I grabbed Caity and said “oh those toe-toes look so yummy I’m going to eat them!”
Without missing a beat, Caity told me that Daddy forgot to wash her feet and were “Yuckky” so I couldn’t eat them.
How smart is that? Whenever I tell her I’m going to bite her bummy, she says “No, it’s Yuckky Mommy”. She’s pretty funny, and intelligent – she already knows that if something is dirty, we don’t eat it, so she figured that if her body parts were dirty, I’d leave her alone Poor kid, no such luck – those toes were mine!
On a segued side note: I have to get Lexy some shoes for going back to school. Her feet size will match her Grade. She’s taking a Size One this year. She’s going to have big feet like her Daddy (Size 13).
Time to hit the shower and de-zombie. Wish me luck.
Stuff and Such
August 13, 2009 at 9:33 am | In All Things Doodle, Caityisms, Daddy-O, Family Ties, Miscellaneous Crap, Sisters, TV Season, The Crap that Men Do | Leave a CommentTags: kids, Baby, Toddler, Swimming Lessons, Toddler Talk, Toddler meltdown, So You Think You Can Dance Canada, CKD, IgA, nephrophy, PD, PD Catheter
We started swimming lessons this past Sunday. Lexy loved it, Caity thought we were placing her in a pot of boiling oil and sharks were going to eat her toes. In other words, she wasn’t too pleased with the whole thing. She liked being in the water as long as I was holding her close to me. We couldn’t bounce. We definitely couldn’t put her on her back – don’t we understand that Toddlers simply don’t DO that?? Such indignities should not be thrust upon a youngling. The only way I could get her to do her ‘tricks’ was to promise to let her play with toys in the water if she was good. Usually at the end of the session when we go to the kiddie pool, they get to play a bit. Not this time. Cait did her tricks for nothing. Apparently her Mother lies. *sigh*. We’ll try again this week, maybe we’ll be more successful. Lexy started off the same way, the whole boiling oil approach and now she thinks she’s Ethel Merman. Mind you, it does produce some very nice naps. I guess there is some good that comes out of all that flailing around in your attempts to save yourself when your Mother is so clearly trying to let you drown…
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Caity’s growing up. Her vocabulary is expanding every day. She no longer says “backers” instead of “crackers”. She’s determined to put her own shoes on. She still thinks the potty is full of alligators. She’s determined to have he own way or she’ll throw a fit faster than anything I’ve seen … seriously it’s like “Caity, don’t do that …” three, two, one, meltdown!
She walks around saying she misses us all the time. Yesterday she said “I miss Daddy”. I pointed to the couch and said, Caity, he’s right there. “Oh.” she said and walked away. He picked her up from Daycare too yesterday, so it’s not like she didn’t know he was home.
Crazy kid.
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At least “So You Think You Can Dance Canada” is back on …
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I’ve been cleaning (read: decluttering) my house for the past two weeks. Donna comes tomorrow and I can’t wait! Thank you again Sarah and Carly! If Donna doesn’t mind posing, I’ll post some pictures of her up to her elbows in muck. Poor thing, I don’t think she knows what she’s in for… I just hope that she’s seen houses worse than mine. Thank you again everyone, this means so much to us.
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I’m ready to crack I think. I feel like Humpty Dumpty on that brick wall. I’m precariously perched and need to be very careful not to fall. Most days I feel like screaming until I’m hoarse. I can’t. Most days I feel like staying in bed all day. I can’t. It doesn’t help when you hear your husband talking about his own mortality and how he figures he’ll only live to be 49 when he will have used up all those borrowed organs. He’s scared, I know it. I’m scared, I know it. Some days I feel like running away. I know that if I did, I’d be back in an hour so it seems pointless. I need a break. I’m heading to Québec right after Labour Day for a work function. It is taking place at a spa hotel and oh-my-god the services look heavenly. The first day we’re there is my Birthday. I think I will treat myself to a massage and pedicure if I can get away from the boys long enough. They’ll be in meetings anyway. Then I think they should take me to dinner and get me drunk. I’ll see how successful I am. Alex is off that week looking after the kids. He just realized I’ll be away for my birthday and gave me shit about it last night. It’s also Lexy’s first day of Grade One(!!) and I may miss that too. I think that’s more important. I told him we never do anything for my birthday anyway, so what’s the big deal. He grumped. I told him we usually end up at Ribfest on my birthday and that’s something I’ve always hated doing – not exactly the way I wanted to spend my 40th birthday anyway. I don’t mind going on another day, but not then. Thankfully we have wonderful friends who went for dinner with us two years ago.
Just keep thinking … mud wrap … full body massage … spa-pedi …. and cocktails…. Now THAT’s what I call a birthday!
I’ll miss the girls though.
*sigh* I can’t win.
I think I’m going to get all my hair cut off tonight. I have an appointment at seven and I’m going to lose at least four inches (wish I could say that about my waistline) in a matter of minutes. My stylist always says when I sit down, “Jennifer Aniston called and she wants her haircut back”. I get the same cut time after time. Hint taken.
In two weeks I’m scheduled for the colouring. Might go pink, not sure yet.
I need a change…
Remember, She’s Two
July 28, 2009 at 9:33 am | In All Things Doodle, Caityisms, Miscellaneous Crap, Sisters, Toeses and Noses | Leave a CommentTags: kids, Toddler
The girls were invited to a Birthday party this past Saturday. It was held for a boy in their daycare who turned six. It’s hard to believe the kids are growing up so fast, but anyway… They held the party at a local kids fun place where they have those mazes and slides and rides and lots of things for kids to run on, in or through. It gets very noisy, but the kids have a blast. Part of the special treat was the build a bear workshop. All the kids got to pick out an animal and keep him/her forever-ever. Lexy picked a grey elephant which she named Crystal. Now “Fluffy” the dog Lexy picked at her birthday party last year, has a sister.
Caity picked a frog.
Caity was squeaking pretty badly and quite frankly, didn’t deserve a nice present from her friend’s parents. She wanted to go play and she kept telling me she was being good all the while screaming at me because I was making her pick a pet that she didn’t want because couldn’t I see that all she wanted to do was play?? Whew …
But I digress.
So Caity picks a star out of the wish box, “makes a wish”, kisses the star and puts it in her frog. They fill the frog with fluff and Caity squeaks at the noise from the machine. I walk with Caity over to the other girl at the computer who fills out the “birth certificates”.
Me: “Caity, what do you want to name your Frog?”
Her: “Little Lamb”
I stopped walking. “Really??” I said. Caity nods. “You’re sure, you want to name your Frog ‘Little Lamb’?”. She nods her head again.
I brought the frog and Caity to the girl at the computer and told her. She stared at me. “Yep”, I said, “ she really wants to call the frog, Little Lamb”. So that’s what’s on the birth certificate. *sigh*
Oh well, she is only two afterall …
Yes, it's true
I think I’ll keep her, she’s cute (Caity I mean, not the frog…)
Shameless Begging
July 17, 2009 at 7:25 am | In All Things Doodle, Caityisms, Daddy-O, Family Ties, Sisters, Toeses and Noses | 4 CommentsTags: kids, American Idol, Simon Cowell, Voting, Toddler, Toddler Talk, Toddler speak, Toddler Sick, grumpy toddler, Toddler meltdown, Adam Lambert, CKD, IgA, nephrophy, Dialysis, mess, Peritoneal Dialysis, PD
I entered a picture of Caity in a contest to win a house cleaning. The theme is “Messy”. Seems appropriate for my brood. I’m sure there will be heavy competition. There were so many pictures to choose from, but this seems like a natural choice ….
This is what happens when Daddy babysits!
You have no idea how much I could use this prize. I mean, I REALLY need this prize! I have the world’s messiest house and no time to clean it. Between Alex’s dialysis appointments, the kids, soccer, work and everything else I have to do, the house comes dead last. The layer of dust and cat hair on everything is just sad. I’m sure if the kids hold still long enough, you’ll see the dust on them too. You know it’s bad when your youngest points to something and says “Mommy mess!”. Yes Caity, Mommy’s a mess … If you look closely in the picture you can see how much my carpet needs cleaning too!
Alex has been fitted for his Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter (which required surgery) so he’s going to be out of commission for a while and he usually handles the vacuuming and the other heavy stuff because of my bad back. With him being on partial sick time too, the cash flow isn’t great so hiring a random cleaning service is out of the question too.
The main reason we desperately need this prize is because of Alex’s PD catheter. He will have a home dialysis unit installed in our bedroom – it’s the size of a small washing machine or a really large microwave. The room must be kept clean so as to not get bacteria in his wound which would lead to a nasty infection which could make him even more sick. We will have to wear a mask every. single. time. we handle his catheter, to prevent the spread of germs. We also have to find a clean place to keep his supplies.
Even if they just come and vacuum and dust this room, I’d be ecstatic. I have panic attacks when I think about how unclean my house is and, for the sake of my husband’s health, how much cleaner we must keep it. And I wonder why I don’t sleep at night. I’m pretty sure that when he’ll be hooked up to this machine at night, I’ll be on the couch anyway. I’m such a light sleeper as it is…
Please go here and vote for Caity: http://www.durhamregionbaby.com/
I would be eternally grateful…
Please …?
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