Could you repeat that? Real slooow...

No matter how otherwise unappealing a man is, hearing him speak French just makes me quiver.

Boy it's tough sometimes to work in a bilingual office.

The Santa threat

I've been bothered by the commercialism of Christmas for some time, not because I'm a particularly religious person (and really, Christmas is just the Christianization of Yule anyway, we have no idea when Christ was actually born) but I realize what bothers me much more than a generation of mini toy tyrants: it's Santa. Not Santa himself but "the Santa threat", the way that parents and marketers use Santa as a way to demand conformity from our children. Better watch out, you'd better not cry... what kind of bullshit is that? It came to me just two days before Christmas when I was picking the kids up from the sitter and she said "I had to remind Katie that Santa was watching and he doesn't bring presents to naughty little girls". OK quite apart from the fact that Santa already had a shitload of stuff in my closet that he certainly wasn't returning, and the whole creepy factor of some fat dude who has nothing better to do than watch your behaviour, I'm not thrilled with the idea of bribing my kids into 'good' behaviour (nor am I all that keen to denounce the little annoying things that 3 and a half years olds do as 'naughty').

From another perspective: we have a mythical man who is kind and benevolent to those who follow his rules, and has fire and brimstone (or lumps of coal) for those who don't. Sounds familiar? I'm a long way out of Sunday school but doesn't that break the first commandment?

I grew up with the santa threat, and I hear it used by lots of my contemporaries. I think I may have used it myself many moons ago when James was a wee boy, but no more. Now the question is how do I remove this aspect from the babes Christmas experience without removing Santa altogether? I like the idea of my kids experiencing the magic of Santa but I want it on my terms.

Cool, calm and collected.

Thank heavens the holidays are over and we're snug in our home again. I love Christmas, really I do but I could do without the stress and the travel and all of the rest of it. It was a good Christmas, we all got some nice things and we had a wonderful visit to my parents' place (and a QUIET drive home with two babes sound asleep in their carseats for more than half the journey!). Just two-and-a-half working days this week then a 3 days weekend... sweet! Not many plans for it either, New Years day dinner with the inlaws and that's about it. Peace and restfulness.

Jonah has spent 3 nights out of the crib, I really think he'll transition well. Perhaps he'll even sleep better? Hey, a girl can dream.

Season's Greetings

Merry Christmas everyone, leaving for my parents' house right after the kids massacre their gifts tomorrow. Might actually be able to blog a bit from there since my dad has high speed :)

Brrrrr

Dear Mother Nature;

What's with the -44C today - it's not even winter yet!

Frigidly yours

Cursed myself

I cursed myself by saying these things come in threes. Yesterday I got a call at work that James had fallen in gym and hurt his wrist. Thankfully it was just a mild sprain, but then I get to teh sitters and find out Katie had thrown up her lunch all over, then passed out on the couch for an hour and a half. She's OK too thankfully. Then, just after bath, Jonah throws up his dinner, then everything else elft in his stomach, then bile and foam. He continues throwing up every 30-45 minutes until 12:35am when he falls into a deep, exhausted sleep. Ironically he seems fine today though we didn't chance feeding him much in the way of solids (some toast, a quarter banana and some plain pasta). Please let that be the last of it, we're all pretty darned worn out!

Baby's first scar

Not quite one for the baby album


Click for larger

Jonah had a fall from his sled Sunday morning (curse the allure of a fresh snowfall!). We were super fortunate though, the cut ends right at the edge of the pink part of his lip and the doctor said if any of the pink had been affected he'd have needed sutures, because it was just the skin they were able to glue it shut. He was a total trooper, barely cried at all (though he fought the doctor - took 3 people to hold him still long enough to get the glue on there. That's my fighter!)

Last night Katie came home from daycare with a tummy ache, we didn't think much about it figuring she was hungry. Within an hour she was writhing on the couch, crying in pain. When she threw up all over the livingroom C bundled her up and took her to the clinic. After a ridiculously long wait (even though she vomitted all over the waiting room which resulted in her being ushered into a private waiting room quickly) the doctor diagnosed her with a urinary tract infection. Poor little Princess, I've had those before and they're mighty painful.

So - these things always happen in 3's right? James' turn? Heaven forbid...

Old age

My shoulder has turned into a barometer! Yesterday and last night it ached and throbbed and limited the work I could do, now that the storm is here it feels better. WTF? First - when did I get so damned old that my joints ache? And secondly - how the freak does my shoulder know a storm is coming? It doesn't make sense! I used to snicker at old people who could predict coming storms with their aching joints yet apparently the phenomenon is real. How does this happen?

Can I keep some of my money? Please?

I am getting really, really sick of having my hard-earned money snatched away! I'm sick to death of the ridiculous bank fees, ridiculous interest charges, utterly ridiculous Canadian taxes. Recently the Ontario government added yet another new tax - a "health care premium" which is an extra $500 or so per year (before you lecture me about that being cheap for health care bear in mind I also pay 40% of my gross income to federal taxes which are supposed to cover my health care costs). Then, as if the new health care tax isn't enough, several doctor's offices in the province (and particularly in Ottawa) are going to be charging their patients an annual "administrative fee". WTF? One of the principles of Canadian identity is universal healthcare and all of these fees aren't making it very universal in my books. Think of it this way - I could see my family doctor for this sore wrist of mine and he would bill the government about $30 for my 15 minute visit (plus extra for whatever tests he would order and whatever call-backs are required). Or, I could go to the emergency department at our local hospital and the cost to OHIP would be more than $300 for the same 15 minute consult and tests. I'm not about to go to the emergency department for a sore wrist but the people who lose their family doctors because they can't afford the "administrative fee" may well.

To add to my tax frustration more and more of the people I know are becoming "small businesses". They continue to work and earn money but by registering themselves (for a nominal fee - some $200) as a small business they can write off a large part of their living expenses against their earned income - meaning they pay far less tax. Those tax incentives are supposed to be for the entrepreneurs who power our economy, the people who's hard work and vision will eventually provide more jobs. Using those tax incentives to offset regular income is nothing short of tax evasion - yet it's perfectly legal. So why don't I pony up my $200 and become a "self-employed business person"? Apparently my moral compass won't allow it. I can bitch about the tax system but I can't make myself cheat it. And that sucks more than anything else.

weirdness

OK I took my winter boots down from the front hall closet shelf this morning (since we have snow now) and when I went to put them on my feet I discovered they were full of Easter eggs. Seriously - 3 foil-wrapped chocolate eggies in one boot and a plastic eggie full of jelly beans in the other!

What kind of f@#$ed up rabbit hides eggs in smelly old boots anyway?

SNOW!

The first real snow storm of the season, huge, huge flakes are falling pretty quickly outside my office window right now and the bare trees are all coated in white blankets. The worst of it waited until Dubya flew away (good riddance, I hate how state visits practically shut down the whole city and how busloads of protesters show up and throw garbage everywhere and smoke pot on Parliament Hill) but it's here in earnest now. I wish I wasn't at work, I can only imagine Katie's excitement to see the snow falling, and I wonder if Jonah is bewildered or afraid or excited. Sucks to be a working mom.

Oh, did I mention I wore moccasins today? Yet another bit of brilliancy from yours truly.