Sweetheart Saturday

So it's time for the "Why is Ari so wonderful this week?" Column. Hmm ... I really should get him to return the favour sometime and do a "Why is Sarah so wonderful" column. ;)

This week however, is easy. The last couple of days I have been slightly off my game - understandable since they've been busy days, and a few things involved in them have been stressful (not like terrible awful, but like doctor's appointments, a meeting with the social worker ... things which actually turn out to be quite good whenever they happen but of course it's always 'hope everything's going as well as we think it is' - even though it always does lol), and then yesterday consisted of relaxing with family but ... let's just say sometimes one can relax too much. ;)

Anyway, Ari has been awesome the last couple of days for doing more than his share with Little Tyke (of course there are days he does less because HE'S tired or stressed, but he more than makes up for it when the shoe is on the other foot). As I'm sure many reading this blog can understand, being a SAHM (stay at home mom) is such an amazing and rewarding experience; love the time I've had these last three months to bond with LT, and how much he's come to love and trust me. It has its challenges too, which I expected; one of the biggest is trying to figure out just how much to ask of your working partner. On the one hand, when Ari comes home at the end of the day, I've been with LT the whole day, playing, feeding, changing ... I wouldn't mind some evening time to myself to vegetate, do other projects, or what have you. BUT it's not like Ari's been off hanging out all day, he's been at work as well, and comes home tired. So what's fair to ask him to do? What's fair for him to expect me to do after the whole day with the baby?

With many partners this could be a real challenge; with Ari it isn't. I'm sure I sometimes expect him to go above and beyond, and take advantage of him when he's home; I'm also sure he does the same now and then; but we both know we're trying, and we can appreciate that. I think that's pretty cool. :)

Pancake Tuesday

Today is Pancake Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. There are different traditions surrounding this day - eating pancakes, dancing and drinking amid bright costumes and lights, etc. - but to sum it up neatly would be one last day of gluttony and debauchery before the beginning of the Holy season of Lent.

Lent in the Christian calendar is much like the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur) in the Jewish calendar; it is one last day of celebration, before 40 days of reflection, fasting, prayer and introspection in preparation for Holy Week, which represents the week Jesus spent in Jerusalem prior to His death (Palm Sunday - his arrival, through Good Friday - the date of his death, up to but not including Easter Sunday, which starts the new church season of Pentecost, or "The Great 50 Days").

But for today ... we have pancakes for supper. ;) Are any of you giving up anything special for the next 40 days, starting tomorrow? I *think* I've decided to give up sloth, lol, and start exercising more. Does that count? ;)

Joyeux mardi gras tout le monde!

Happy Weekend!

Not much to say - the last couple of days have been pleasantly quiet, some cleaning, some errands, some bonding with my men as Ari's been on weekend and Little Tyke's been all wakeful and pleasant ... but definitely glad it's the weekend and looking forward to all that brings; in particular heading out to visit with Alex and her family tomorrow - and presumably some more friends as it's a party for her business (which I'm sure she'd be more than happy to entertain questions about at her blog!). Also looking forward in the coming weeks to helping my parents move, and getting out to a few more things now that LT's a few months old and easier to bring around town. :)

So routine, a holding pattern, but a pleasant one - hope all is quietly going well for y'all as well. Happy Weekend.

Check out ...

The Wrestler. Ari and I had a date night tonight and it is an AWESOME movie.

No Gay Divorce

My friend Alex posted this video today -



In light of the hateful passage of Prop 8, constitutionally banning gay marriages in California, Ken Starr and other Republicans in the US wish to nullify thousands of same-sex unions entered into prior to Prop H8's passage. No this doesn't affect us here in Canada - but as Pierre Trudeau once observed, when you sleep next to an elephant, you feel its every move. Also, oppression and hate anywhere affect all of us as the human race, and know no borders. So on that front, please watch this video and sign the related petition against nullifying these marriages ... end the hypocrisy of the Republican Party who claim to be defending the sanctity of marriage while looking to end over 18,000 of them in one fell swoop.

Sweetheart Saturday - Valentine's Day

So Ari and I have never been the types who make a big deal of Valentine's Day - after our first year or two together we decided the best gift two busy university students/professionals/parents/generally busy people could give each other was quality time, so we stopped the sappy-gift-no-one-really-wants thing and focused on just making a nice date - maybe live theatre instead of a movie, maybe a nice restaurant instead of roadhouse fare.

This year, as we have an infant son, we're not even going to really get the opportunity to do that, but we're going to try to make the evening special with a nice home cooked meal, some wine, together at our kitchen table instead of on our own time at our computer desks or watching TV because Ari's coming in late, or I'm feeding the baby when dinner's ready, or whatever. It doesn't sound like much, but it's just nice to make the time as it's been in short supply of late with my play, and then Ari having a crappy shift at work this week. And Little Tyke is both of our Valentine's, so we didn't want to go somewhere we couldn't include him also. :)

God that sounds so dreadfully boring and 'old married couple' when I write it out but ... hey. Having someone home to help with the baby and the chores this afternoon, and to sit down with for a nice meal and a glass of wine tonight, after a good night's sleep for both of us, is exciting to *me* anyway lol. :D

Life, as it happens

So it's been a good week - a bit less quiet and lazy than last, so I haven't been bored, but nothing too stressful either, which is nice. Little Tyke's had a couple of stressful days, I think he has some gas or something (I won't call it full blown colic, since I get the sense that leaves little people quite inconsolable, and he isn't, but he's definitely been very burpy/farty, and struggling a bit with eating; he still finishes his bottles, but I don't think it's quite the happy comfy process it used to be). But when it's not right *before* mealtime (hungry), during or *right* after (full and gassy), he's happier than ever. He's as chatty as Ari and I, with a steady stream of baby babble in full gear now, and very frequent smiles. His 'tummy time' is getting better, although he still gets tired of it pretty easily. We do a few, short sessions on his tummy every day instead of one or two longer ones.

LT andI went to the movies yesterday - around town there are some awesome programs called Movies for Mommies and Stars & Strollers which are great fun and a great way for new parents to get out of the house without it having to be errands, fast food or the mall. Now yesterday we fit the mall in too as the theatre is basically attached to it, lol, but it's still a nice alternative. We saw "Milk" (AWESOME, just AWESOME movie, very powerful last week, and yesterday saw "He's Just Not that Into You" which was actually surprisingly good; I expected it to mildly stink after reading some of the reviews, and don't get me wrong, it is exactly what it says it is. But it was enjoyable nonetheless.

So minus a bit of fussiness it's been an awesome few days, and a decent week actually. Today however I'm tired as LT woke me up at 7, two hours after he had his last bottle, only to drink about half of that one. No worries, except then he felt like playing and neither of us have REALLY been back to bed since. I'm also starting to get quite lonely, as Ari had errands to do so he left around 9 and I probably won't get to see him until around 8pm tonight. I'm not housebound at all, LT's easy to take shopping or for little walks or drives, but my friends are all busy working or parenting themselves, and my mom, who is usually my most constant companion other than those I live with lol, has been out of town for a month. So yeah - nothing really wrong, just sort of tired and blue. You all know and have those days too I'm guessing. But no worries. LT should wake up shortly, I'll give him a (proper) bottle, myself a shower, and it'll be on with the day! :) And if all else fails, hey, it's the weekend before we know it (YAAAY!)

Enjoy your Thursdays all.

If Hamlet was set in the Facebook era ...

This is SO how it would be done. SUCH teenage drama. ;) Loves it.

Click HERE to see. It's perfect.

Octuplet Mom

So first I'm sorry it's been awhile since I posted - this week hasn't been especially busy but boring as sin so I figured I'd spare you guys the "I ran errands ... I cleaned the house ... I changed the baby ..." running commentary.

But I did want to post this - as someone who worked very, VERY hard to prove that I'd be a good and responsible parent, this woman drives me nuts:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

My thoughts:

1. It is not selfish to be a working parent if you make the time you spend with your children quality - my husband works, and yet he takes on almost all the parenting duties from the time he comes in at night - I'll do the overnight feeding and change so he can get his sleep and be ready for work the next day, but he does more than his share. And to suggest that 'people have children who don't have time for them' is selfish - yes it is; it IS also selfish to have this number of children with no source of income.
2. Fine you're going to school and will be gainfully employed; how do you have time to study AND take care of your children? And how will you have time to work and take care of your children? I'm sorry - to quote Ms. Suleman, "THAT (snarkily) is selfish" (fingerpoint).
3. For the record this is not about being a single mom. One of my closest friends was a single mom at one point, and I know a few people at this point who are ultimately single moms, be it through having been single in the first place, or through separation and divorce. I think a one parent household in which love and happiness abound is actually more productive and a better place for children than an unhappy two parent household. But here's the thing. My friends who are parenting/have parented when single? They stopped at one, maybe two. Even my married friends, I have ONE friend who has three children. At our age, at this stage in the game, it's important to know what one can handle. Single or not, an unemployed student should not be having ONE child intentionally, much less fourteen.

And sorry if all of that comes off as judgemental - if you are poor/broke/unemployed and have a child (or two) and are doing your best to take care of them, I DO respect the hell out of you and apologize for any mis-speaking here that may give the impression I'm lumping those situations with this nut job. But that's the bottom line - she IS a nut job. Boo! on her.

Pachelbel Rant

Funniest thing I've seen in a long time: