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D and I are very excited about the coming of December and all the xmassy and Yuletide goodness that it brings. Paul on the other hand doesn't seem to share in our excitement quite so much... until the cookies are baking and then I'm sure he'll change his tune. I think that having a mediocre Halloween had made me determined to make Christmas as good as it can be. We didn't have a single kiddo come to the door for Halloween treats, I'll be damned if there are no elves, sugarplums or other holiday loveliness for the xmas season.
The harvest was a fairly tame one for P this year. For the last few years it's been 16 hour days, 7 days a week for a solid 2 months, not so this time around. I think that it's really thrown P off that he's managed to be home for dinner most nights. Despite this, D still can't wait for the harvest to be over so that he gets his daddy back. I'm looking forward to it too.
We've got a second loose tooth! It's hanging on by a thread and completely grosses me out when D wiggles it about with his tongue. Ick! It seems like it's been holding on for ages. Here's the cheeky kiddo when we were raking leaves in the back garden a couple of weeks ago. He thought it was great fun to jump in them... I thought it was pretty fun too.
P.S. In much happier and exciting news the big D lost his first tooth! The tooth fairy was very good to him... far too good really. He's been told that the first lost tooth always fetches the highest price and not to expect that for the rest of his chompers :)
I've been having a hard time getting into a book since we moved. I've got three on the go and not really feeling it for any them. I sort of miss sitting in a park and reading away my lunch hour. *sigh* Anyway, I came across one of those "top 100 books" lists and the following were all included (as usual) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger / The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway / The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand / Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence / Orlando by Virginia Woolf... I can't stand any of those books and will never understand their placement on 'best' lists. To coin a Dante phrase "They're ca-ca poo-poo heads" YEAH!
It's sooo lovely here at the mo'. All the leaves are changing and apples, squash and pumpkins are popping up at roadside stalls. Today we went to buy some apples at a local farm. As we were walking to the entrance a lady slipped and fell. Her husband helped her sit up and she seemed stunned but ok. Soon after she sat up she started complaining about her finger and crying... I think she broke it because it looked sort of crooked. What do you do to help someone who has hurt her finger? You can't very well call an ambulance. They obviously drove to the farm, you'd think that the husband would have quickly driven her to the hospital or something. Anyway, it was just a sort of strange thing that's stuck with me for the day. Her crying and holding her finger while little kids run about looking at pumpkins and swarms of yuppies buy apples. Weird.
It's taking a lot longer to unpack those boxes than I expected. I suppose we're kinda getting used to them at this point. Paul is starting to get a bit fed up though... I can tell because he's starting to take matters into his own hands. I've found him rummaging though boxes grumbling to himself twice in the past week
Dante's tooth is extra wiggly but refusing to come out. How long does this usually take? I feel like this tooth will never come out! We're all looking forward to his new teeth. Poor D has had terrible teeth from the very moment they came in (the doc's say it is very likely a genetic thing) so we're hoping his adult set will be beauties. Dante is just looking forward to the Tooth Fairy Money because it's cash he doesn't have to earn though chores.
Speaking of Dante... the wee fella is doing well at school bringing home B+'s and A's. His reading and penmanship have really improved over the past month and we're very proud of him. D has also learned how to tie his shoes! Last but not least he's come around to the idea of sushi. We took him out and he loved using chopsticks and even asked if we could have it the next night. Hurrah!
Paul is doing well but beginning to stress about the harvest. It happens every year around this time. He gets tense and headachy from the anticipation of what's to come. Comes with the job. On a positive note his wines are being received quite well. He has won an award for one of the wines and the word on the street is pretty positive. Go Paul!
Me? I'm dandy. There's so much to be done around the house, with work, and craft-wise, that I'm never at a loss for things to do. I've been making and doing loads of things and hope that the momentum keeps up. I don't know a soul up here but I like the solitude... I'm not exactly a people person after all.
Lately I've had this strange feeling, the one that you get when your vacation is coming to an end and you remember you've got to go back to the real world. I suppose I'm so used to deadlines that my subconscious is starting to wonder what the hell is going on. It's not like I've been sitting around eating bon-bon's... today I painted walls, floors and a mirror, fixed a cushion cover on the couch, finished a project that I started months ago, updated this site, did dishes, laundry, sketching, played baseball with the kiddo, helped D with his homework and other stuff to boot. I ain't exactly being a slouch. So what's with the weird vibes?
I'm off to bed. It's more painting, curtain making and floor cleaning tomorrow. Maybe I'll sneak in some tv and a cup of coffee.
I left the house today to talk a walk into town and run a few errands. While I was out the school called to say that the Big D had been stung not once, but twice by bees on the playground. Why is it that the only 2 hours I leave the house is when I'm actually needed? I feel like a bad mom and I'm never leaving the house again.
In other Dante news... he's got two loose teeth, he's VERY excited about taking the bus, I'm pretty certain he likes his new school, and he can now put a worm on his own fishing hook. That's a lot of news for a little fella! (The pic below is our treasuring hunting adventure in the back garden.)
The unpacking is still going rather slowly. I don't care... it will get done eventually. Right now I'm just trying to stay on top of cleaning, cooking, the never ending dishes (I miss you dishwasher!!!) and work. In other words, you're welcome to come and stay for a visit but don't bitch about the mess.
Other not really important news...
True Blood is the best show in the history of television and I can't wait for the season ender on Sunday.
I'm STILL reading "The Independence of Miss Mary Bennett". I just don't care about the folks in the book. I'm 3/4 of the way though and I'm thinking of packing it in.
I'm excited about some new artsy ideas floating about in my head. Let's hope I don't fizzle out and they actually get done.
Gotta go and check on the roasty chicken... later folks!
It seems we have a lot of stuff... a lot... I really mean it... it's all sorts of crazy. We were hoping to get everything moved in one load. Fat chance. It took us two and then we still had to drive back for the last little bits and cleaning up the old place. The craft stuff, the books, the wine, the preserves, stuff, stuff and more stuff. Ug. Never again. Next time I'm hiring a mover and I don't care what it costs.
Poor Paul drove and loaded and unloaded for three days solid with very little sleep or eats. On our last visit to the old house we thought we'd put the little bits that we had left over into a storage unit we'd rented to declutter the house. It was empty and we still had 3 weeks left on our contract. When Paul went to drop the stuff off he was told that he didn't have a locker there. Because we had emptied our rental locker they assumed we were done with the space and rented it to someone else. Luckily they gave us another unit before Paul resorted to violent means to show his displeasure at the situation. After that adventure we went to Pho Dau Bo before the 2.5 hour drive home. The restorative wonders of that food is a miracle and we all felt much better after chowing down.
Sooo, we're are slowly unpacking and loving the new house. There are things like the planes from the nearby air base going over a couple of times a day, the air conditioning conking out on our second day here, the leaky drain in the kitchen... but we love it. It's weird how it's felt like home from the moment we walked in the door. Everyone says that we were meant to live in this house. I agree.
Now it's just a matter of putting everything in it's place. No doubt it will be a long slow process, thankfully we've got the time :)
I've only got 2 more working days left at a job I've been at for about 10 years. It's exciting and scary to give it all up for a very different life. I'll be going from 2 jobs in the big city (population 500,000+) to a work-at-home mom in a township of around 40,000. I'm on pins and needles!
Only 6 days left till all these boxes get moved and then the UN-packing begins.
Our new home! I pretty much think it's the most lovely house I've ever seen and I'm all sorts of in love with it.
Our move date is fairly soon so updates will still be kinda sparce for the next month or so.
So, here's a super condenced rundown of what's been going on...
- Paul got a new job as wine maker for a lovely place in Prince Edward County
- We're picking up and moving 2.5 hours away, smack dab between my mum and my aunts.
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We put our house up for sale and sold it super quickly... thank's to St. Joseph!
- We bought the gem above quick as can be... thank's again to St. Joseph!
- Dante is excited about getting a new basketball net
Add into that mix, prepping our house for sale (painting, cleaning, steaming carpets), soccer practice, games, swim lessons, work, cooking, laundry, sleep, packing... the zillion other things going on... and I'm sure you can appreciate the limited time we've got at the mo'.
Will be posting regularly again once the move is complete!
There's so much going on I don't even know where to begin. For the time being I'll just say that our lives are fairly hectic at the moment and that I'll be 'away' until August. When things have settled I'll share all the details... for now I'll keep quiet rather than jinx myself.
Before you get the wrong idea we have not won the lottery (yet), have not joined or formed a cult or gang, and other than a really awful bought of the flu we're all a-ok.
In other news...
- Dante finishes school on Friday! I can't believe my baby is graduating kingergarten!
- I'm reading Wuthering Heights... those people are assholes.
- I'm going for sushi tomorrow Woo hoo!
- I got pooped on by a bird two days in a row.. how is that lucky?
I've been reading the "Twilight" books over the past year or so. To be perfectly honest the first one didn't do a heck of a lot for me. I know, I know, they are teen books, they're supposed to be a light read. Whatever... it was a bad book. I'm now on the third one of the series. Why? I suppose I'm just waiting to see when the two of them are going to finally give it up and do the deed already. Christ almighty, all that flipping whining and no one has had any sex yet! Jebus save me. It would be lovely if someone would just cut out all the good bits for me to read so that I don't have to read all the other crap. Ug.
In other vampire news... I've read the first four in the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris in the past two weeks. Phew! After seeing the series True Blood last year, which the books are based on, I thought that the first book was a tad 'thin'. The reactions of characters and the lack of description of certain elements sort of put me off. The subsequent books have been a total treat to read though. Loads of vampiric fun. Hands down a gazillion times better than Twilight.
Eric would totally kick Edwards ass and Sookie would beat Bella to a pulp.
Paul has been laid off. It's shitty but the world has not come to an abrupt halt. We're moving on.
Dante is fine. He's better than fine really because he's loving having his dad walk him to school and not having to go to the sitter. He's so great. I remember when we went camping a few years ago, on our first night there was a huge storm and our tent filled with inches and inches of water. It was so bad that at midnight, in complete darkness, we quickly threw all of our belongings in the car and drove home. We were shoeless, soaked to the core, and hadn't any idea if we'd left anything behind. Dante sat cheerfully in the back seat and said "Well, it was fun while it lasted. At least we had a nice day." We could all learn a thing or two about dealing with stressful situations from a cheerful kiddo.
I've finished reading The Thorn Birds. What a fantastic book. I had my reservations about reading it but every time it came up in conversation women would literally swoon "Oh! The Thorn Birds!" I'm totally glad I opened it up because it was great. The best description I can give is the one taken from a review on the back cover "A book in which absolutely everything happens." It's so true! Currently I'm reading Dead Until Dark, the Sookie Stackhouse series which the show True Blood is based on.
Lastly, I now have two etsy shops on the go.
labonadea.etsy.com for my witchery and Knickertwists.etsy.com for my arsty stuff
Here is my latest arty work... each measures only 1.5" x 2"!
We get up, dressed, pack our bags and the kiddo and I are out the door by 8:45am. We arrive just before the school bell rings at 8:50. I'm at the bus stop by 9:00 and usually make it downtown around 9:30. I stop into Job A and check my email, do small jobs and make quick changes. Some days I spend 20 minutes there, others a few hours... it depends on the day. Then I'm off to grab another bus and go to job B where I usually work until 6, unless I have to pick D up from the sitter in which case I leave at 4 to get two busses to the sitters house for 5pm (why it takes 30 to get to work and 1 hour to get home I will never understand). Get home between 5:30 - 6:30, cook dinner and eat. Paul or I take D to the park for 20 - 30 minutes. 7pm D gets a bath. 8pm time to fiddle around the house, laundry, hang out. 9pm I watch a show with D, 9:30 story time, then sleep. After D falls asleep (if I haven't fallen asleep myself) I'm up and at the computer doing work for Job A, or if I'm caught up, I'm crafting/painting. Sometime between 1 and 3am I drag myself to bed.
... by Wednesday this is the mess I've made.
Sure I can take D to work with me if I have to, I do not have 'start time', I leave when I want, and I get to work from home. However, I don't exactly get paid the big bucks so there's got to be some sort of payback. I'm just sayin' I work my ass off for the flexibility that I have. So, if you happen to see me going to work at 11 in the morning or leaving work at 4 in the afternoon... please don't say "Must be nice."
In other news...
Paul is taking guitar lessons! He really does make me proud the way he takes charge and does the things he wants to do. While other people say "I wish I had learned to play the guitar." Paul actually does something about it.
D is back at swimming lessons. Now that he's 6 he's taking proper levels rather than the kiddy ones named after cute aquatic animals (ie sunfish, sea turtle... you get the idea). That kid LOVES the pool and his head is hardly above water when he's there.
Me? I'm working on three crafty swap packages. I finished a series of little paper houses made from a Ouija board. I'm reading The Thorn Birds, which I'm enjoying. Planning on doing some painting, and screen printing very soon. Hurrah for crafting!
Ouija Street... 13 houses made from a single Ouija board. See more here.
Last but not least...if you are looking for a way to buy my affection (or avoid my wrath) take a trip over to Skulls Unlimited International and buy me something pretty.
So, I've been awful and haven't updated in like 2 months. It's terrible. I've missed telling stories about birthdays, road trips and the little things that make life funny. I've missed to much to catch up to date so I'll just start anew. Let's pretend that little gap never happened.
Here's D from last weekend on visit to the sugar bush. Notice the messy hair? Yeah, he's growing it because he wants to look like a wrestler or a rock star. We keep telling him to gel it or something because he's looking rather bed-headish... a little product goes a long way. Trouble is that he cares enough to want to grow it, but not enough into styling the beast on top of his head. Ug.
That familiar obsessive feeling is coming over me again but the thing is... I've nothing to focus it on this time around. Ack!
 I was almost sucked in to the "Twilight" frenzy but I just can't do it. I read the first book and thought it was fairly awful. I'm guessing because at the time I was reading it I was watching True Blood, which is about 1 zillion-trillion-billion times better, it sort of put a damper on my Twilight experience. I've seen the movie and I don't think it's a complete waste of film, but that might just be because the leading man, Robert Pattinson, is just about as dreamy as you can get. *swoon* But it's not enough to push me over the edge into making weird little Twilight things. It was barely enough to get me reading book two New Moon, which was, I'll admit, better than the first book. Did I mention that Robert Pattinson is dreamy? He is.
I will mention that I've made a lovely dent in my list of 50 things to do and have accomplished quite a bit since January. I've been working my ass off between my two jobs, housework (which always gets the short end of the stick), the kiddo and making stuff. It drives me sort of crazy that I can't really show you my latest project until my partners get them in the mail. That's one of the very few things I dislike about swapping... you'll just have to wait.
One last thing... fair warning to anyone stealing my bandwidth by directly linking to photos on my site... please post images on your own damned site. Geeze, how flipping lazy can you get?
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