Grey hairs

I was sitting with my new friend Jen tonight, when she experienced a momentus first.

Under the glow of the 5 o'clock sun beating down in our faces, Jen discover her first grey hair.

I remember the moment when I discovered MY first great hair, about *cough* six years ago, around the same age that Jen is now. It's all gone to hell in a handbasket since that day of discovery, and I am now sporting more grey hairs than I would ever dare to count. Never mind daring, actually, I just don't have that kind of time, people.

I suppose I should consider myself lucky, actually. When my Dad was my age, he was sporting a full white frontal streak across his brow. Not just grey, white as white can be. And I think he'd have been sporting it for a few years by this age.

I'm surprisingly ok with the grey, I feel like I've earned each and every one of those little fuckers. However, they've been appearing at a more rapid pace these days, and I'm just not sure where to go with it all.

Here's the thing - I feel like I'd do a darn good job of rocking a full head of grey. It is, in fact, one of the reasons I've been letting my hair grow long these days, because I think there's something kind of sassy and sexy about a woman with a head full of long, grey flowing locks. But this half head of grey? These grey "highlights?" I just don't feel like they're all that attractive. I don't think there's much sassy and sexy about random wiry white hairs poking themselves this-a-way and that-a-way and every which way out of my head, announcing themselves to the world.

"Hey, look at me, sticking up all over the place, all wiry and unruly and not conforming with the other hairs on this head like...I'm GREY!!"

Yeah. So.

I know I'm not alone in this...I KNOW I'm not the only one checking out my multi-colored hairline, and glaring at my children while silently putting all the blame on them.

What I want to know is what the rest of y'all are doing about it!

Are you rocking it, or are you in the hair care aisle at Shoppers, pretending it never ever happened?

C'mon...you can tell...I can keep a secret!

;)

Saturday Bits

It's summer theatre season here again, and that means that Daddy is here and gone and here and gone a lot. Which leaves me and the munchkins. And the dog. The goal right now is to make it through the days with everyone fed, happy, and relatively clean. (I might be failing on that one, since last night Griffin said to me "Mama, I want to snuggle, but not to close, because you don't smell too good." Humph. Thanks kid. Here, hold the baby, I'm going to shower.)

Corben is....something. Teething likely. Happy as a clam during the day, miserable at bedtime. Last night and the night before it took me TWO hours to get him down to bed. This morning he was up at 5:30am, miserable again.

Not a wonder I don't have time for a shower.

At least I'm smart, and when Daddy's away we all crawl into the big bed together. This makes bedtimes and any midnight wakings infinitely easier. Often I'll wake up with a foot in my kidneys or an arm in my face, but like I said, the cuddlemania has been quelled for as long as I can keep my pits stinky.

Corben doesn't care if I stink. As long as my boobs keep making milk, we'll be BFF's. One snuggler in the bed is enough

Tonight, by some minor miracle, everyone was asleep by 8:30. The 5:30 wake-up by C and Mr. No Nap Griffin may have something to do with that. I don't even have the energy to do anything creative with this evening. I think I may go join the little snorefest myself.

My three year old? Could out-snore many of your husbands. He'll make someone a fine one some day!

And with that, I will leave you with this little bit of awesomesauce, and bid you adieu. This is how I get ready in the morning, fuss free. Corbenvision. Have mirror, will entertain!

Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

Wow. I'm pooched. Done. Kaput. Finito.

Work is busy. Life is busy. The laundry is piling up. No sewing is happening. Thank gawd the cleaning lady is coming tomorrow...hey, do you think she might be able to do the laundry?

I spent the better part of last week "auditioning" for a gig that I didn't get. Boo. It was a lot of time invested, and I was really hopeful, but alas... (It was not a gig to replace my super-fantastic job, don't worry. Just an extra-curricular thingy.)

On Monday Steve and 6 of his friends from the theatre here did the "long walk to Mordor" - they watched all 3 of the extended versions of the Lord of the Rings movies. Over 12 hours of movie viewing pleasure, back to back to back. They left behind a lot of food. What's my point? My point is there's cake in my fridge. And I'm going to eat it. In bed. Now.

So long.

(P.S. Spring? It can come anytime now.)

Better

Last night was better.

I sat down at dinner and pulled out the trusty parenting book, and turned to the "night time discipline" section. This is what it said: (paraphrasing)

"If your child is extra clingy at night time, it's probably because he doesn't see enough of you during the day."

Annnnnnnnd cue the guilt trip!

I went into last nights battle in a different frame of mind, understanding now that my kid wasn't being a jerk, he wasn't being willful about going to sleep in his own bed, he just wanted to spend some time snuggled up with his favourite person on earth...his mama. Hell, who can blame a 2 year old kid for wanting to snuggle with his mom, who he doesn't see all day long??!!

So we hung out. We crawled into bed, we snuggled like no one has snuggled before. We read books. We drank milk. We talked. And I set a time limit. At 8:30 I was tucking him in and leaving the room, no ifs ands or buts.

When 8:30 rolled around I tucked in the wriggling child who was trying to jump back into my arms and went downstairs. He cried for a minute, and then whimpered for a few more. He came out onto the upstairs landing to bang on the railing. After a while, Steve went back upstairs and tucked him back into his bed.

This time, he stayed.

And woke up at 5:45, about 30 seconds before my alarm went off!

Progress - we're making it!

(Never mind that he's currently snuggled up in the big bed with Daddy, because all he wanted to do when he woke up was "'nuggle." Truth be told, I LOVE snuggling with that little monkey in bed!)

Baby steps...

Night Time Rituals of the Poor and Exhausted

So. Last night? Attempt toddler sleeping in own bed?

Sucked.

Bedtime started around 7:30. Kid falling asleep? 9:30. BUT...in his own bed, WITHOUT anyone lying beside him.

Phewf. One small victory for parental unit.

Until 3:30.

3:30 kid wakes up. Completely and utterly uninterested in going back to sleep in his own bed. Uninterested in lying down AT ALL. Crying more than I cried when I watched dear sweet Matthew Cuthbert die in the arms of little Anne (with an E) Shirley (A LOT of crying.) Continues to remain uninterested (and cry) until SIX O' FREAKING CLOCK!!!

I was ready to cry too by then.

Oh wait, I did.

Score 1 for the toddler.

He FINALLY fell back asleep at 6am, only for me to wake him up at 6:30 to get him dressed to leave at 6:45. Swell. And then, refused to nap at daycare. Finally gave in at 2:30 this afternoon. Due to late nap, is now bouncing off the walls.

So, part success, part BIG FAT FAILURE, considering Steve and I are both utter zombies today and will likely NOT be up for fighting anyone, no matter how small, in the middle of the night tonight.

Good times, people. Good times.

Sleeping Beauty

Last night, Griffin tossed and turned and tossed and turned (and tossed and....you get the picture) ALL. NIGHT. LONG. He slept from 8pm till 10:30, then cried from 10:30 till midnight or so, and then commenced with the tossy-turny till he finally fell asleep around 3. (I'm speculating on the fell asleep time, I called it quits at midnight and Steve took over, god love him.) He woke screaming again at 4:30, and fell back asleep pretty quickly after I crawled into bed with him. I got up at 5:30, my usual rising time, feeling CONSIDERABLY less than rested.

I couldn't figure it out. This has happened before, but it hasn't happened since we cut the sugar out of his diet. I thought back to what he ate yesterday - nothing out of the ordinary...until I thought about dinner - hamburger (normal) sweet potato fries (normal) and, I believe, the culprit - ketchup. Seriously? A tablespoon of ketchup is going to keep my kid up all night? Apparently so! I suppose when you consider the proportions of his dinner it kind of makes sense- 3 bites of hamburger, and one or 2 french fries, dipped over and over and over into the ketchup puddle! Around here, fries are less for eating, and more of a ketchup delivery vehicle. Like carrots are only a delivery vehicle for hummus. So adios Heinz, you're outta this house, about to be replaced by a lovely sugar free Amish ketchup recipe that I found on line!

5 Minutes for Mom is having a wee contest, to win a super-dooper bedroom set. Although I hope we never see another one of these tossy-turny nights, at least if we're going to be awake 1/2 the night, best be doing it on a sassy new bedroom set. I'd prefer the Summer Breeze, in blueberry please! The contest - post a picture of your sleeping angel. I tell you, I take one look at this picture of my Sleeping Beauty, with his Teddy and his trusty Buhwiteyear in his clutches, likely dreaming of flying, and it almost makes me forget the horrors of last night!

Sleepless Nights

I haz dem.

(You'll have to excuse me - I'm running on 4 hours of [not very good] sleep and am feeling a little foggy right now, thus the desperado cry for help. HELP!!)

Griffin has the uncanny ability to wake up just as we settle into the pillow. No matter what time it is that we go to bed, the moment you're snuggled in, with the covers JUST SO, your pillows perfectly positioned, the dog not laying on top of you, and you take that final deep breath of the day to drift of into la la land.....annnnnnd cue the crying toddler.

Usually he gets back to sleep no problem, but not last night. Last night was one of THOSE nights.

He has THOSE nights, where he tosses and turns and tosses and turns for hours upon hours. Last night it was from 12am until 3am. He also apparently NEEDS to have a parent present for this tossing and turning, because if you even THINK of leaving him to toss and turn on his own he goes into inconsolable hysterics.

I finally got fed up with him at 3am and DID leave him alone in his bed - as predicted he went into hysterics and screamed at top volume for about 30 minutes, which was just about all I could take. I went up to his room at 3:30, armed with as many sleep aids as I could think of - I fed him some chamomile pills, a bottle of warm milk, and lastly, some Tylenol. (When I entered his room the carpet on the other side of the door was warm - I think he had been laying on the floor and screaming at the door. Awesome.)

After about 30 minutes he settled, and FINALLY crashed. We slept from 4am till 8am. Hardly a stellar nights sleep.

I thought I had this figured out. He didn't have any of these episodes when we were in Halifax, but after his first day back at daycare he was tossing all night again. After it happened after the second day at daycare, I thought "AH HA!! It's daycare, it must be SUGAR!" (Griffin gets treats at daycare that we don't feed him here - chocolate chip cookies, freezies, etc.) So off I went to the health food store to load up on sugar-free alternatives to send him to daycare with. The next night of daycare was a peaceful one.

Yesterday? No sugar. No daycare. And STILL, no sleep. Humph.

WTF? Any ideas? We had a delightful day yesterday, lots of outside time, a swim at the pool in O'ville, a great nap, lots to drink and eat. We even went for a run-around outside just before bed, to ensure extra tuckered-outedness. Good thing he's cute, otherwise I'd have to trade him in for a hot tub or something.

Anyway, let me know if you have any brilliant ideas. I'll be in bed.

Please let this be the end...

Griffin has been sleeping rather poorly lately. He used to wake up around 4:30 or 5am, at which point we'd schlep him into our bed and we'd all slumber away for a few more hours. Well, 4:30 went to 3:30, then 2:30, 1:30...all the way up to 11:30. PM. That's like spending the entire night in our bed!

However, I do believe I have an explanation. When G turned 1 year old, he had a grand total of 6 teeth in his mouth. Or thereabouts. Now, a mere 11 weeks later, he has THIRTEEN. That's 7 teeth in 11 weeks - one of those occasions where math pretty much sucks.

A recent inspection in his mouth (which requires hanging him upside down and tickling him) revealed no more teeth waiting in the wings. I mean, I know there are more in there, but if they could all just CHILL for a while, we could all have a chance to catch up on some sleep. That would be really, really lovely.

From Clouds to Sunshine

So this afternoon as we drove home from O'ville (after a visit to Baby #2 - Hudson Robert, who finally arrived after THREE inductions!) Griffin fell asleep in the car, as per usual. Having already awoken him once that day when he fell asleep on the way to O'ville, I really wasn't to keen on waking him up when we got home, knowing EXACTLY how charming he'd be all afternoon without a proper nap. It's a rare day that we can transport him sleeping from car to crib, without him waking up. As we turned onto our road, the black skies that had been threatening all the way home opened up, and it started to POUR! Faced with waking a sleeping baby and schlepping him and our purchases and all our gear into the house in the pouring rain, I decided it just wasn't worth it. So I turned the car off, leaned my seat back, and shut my eyes, figuring what the hell, if Griffin can nap in the car, so can I!

I woke up OVER AN HOUR later, and Griffin started to stir about 5 minutes after I did. When we woke up, the rain was gone, and the skies were bright and sunny, not to mention both of us were well rested and ready to carry on! If only it always worked like that!

Crazy Index: HIGH

Apologies for the delays in the customary once a month diatribe of love to my son. I know you're all wondering where it is, I just know you are! It's been busy around here. We're shifting into high gear, and when we do that it seems some things get lost in the shuffle. Like the laundry that's been hanging on the line since Monday. And my sanity.

To top off the high level of crazy in our lives, Griffin has decided that sleep is for pussies again. Now maybe that's not fair...I think he really wants to sleep between 2 and 4am, it's just that crying is more fun, or something. I have no idea, really, how to explain his strange and OH SO FRUSTRATING nighttime fits, and since I can't explain them, it's pretty hard to solve them. Oh well, we carry on, persevere, in hopes that some day soon we'll wake up at 7am in our own bed, just me and Steve (and likely Dudley), without having left it since we laid our head there the night before. PLEASE GOD!

OK, that's all for now. Stay tuned...

Short and Sweet

We're back. We're exhausted. We're unpacking (sooo much work!), counting mosquito bites (Steve is winning), bruises (I`m winning), and doing 45 loads of laundry it seems. In typical Steve style, he`s off again tomorrow at 6am for a gig in Dover...no rest for the wicked.

Blyth was lovely. Camping was lovelier, despite the daily dose of rain, and one severe thunderstorm which was enough to reduce even the strongest tent to a wading pool. Luckily we had the foresight to put up a tarp, and remained mostly dry, if not a bit terrified throughout.

There are more stories and pictures to come, but now I`m going to crawl into my king sized bed, with its 800 thread count sheets, and slumber the night away, uninterupted by racoons, skunks, or any other critters large or small. Except for maybe Griffin. If I need to get up to pee in the middle of the night, I will do so without getting fully clothed! Holidays are lovely, but it sure is nice to come home!

A Busy Week

We've been busy this week. Hence the silence here dans la blog. But not to worry dear Internet, things here are groovin along!

On Wednesday Griffin and I went to meet Master Dylan Stoski himself, who is as cute as a button (as expected!) It was nice hanging with Mama Sarah for an afternoon and just kvetching about...well...about everything really!

Thursday was a day of gardening, laundry, and car trauma. Why do cars cost so much money? (Because they're EEEE-vil!!) We spent waaay too much money getting the damn car fixed AGAIN. And then there's the tractor. Fricking thing is busted too. We're just a magnet for shitty machines. WE ARE NEVER, EVER BUYING A USED THING WITH A MOTOR AGAIN! Sorry for shouting...it's as much to remind myself as it is to tell you!

Yesterday was...I can't even remember. Lots. Of something.

Today was a super fantastic productive day. We got all the piles of drywall out of the greenhouse (don't ask) and to the dump, did grocery shopping, cut a bit of grass before the lawnmower died again, and then best of all, finally moved the queen sized bed out of Griffin's bedroom. Now we can have a real bedroom, not just live in a spare bedroom with a crib shoved in it. And now we can all be in the room without tripping over each other. And now (or next week) we can ditch the country rose for good. We're going to do the bottom half in a colour something like the background of the blog, and the top half in a really light tan, with a nice white stripe? piece of moulding? in between. It's going to be delightful.

And now, since I am feeling like I have fulfilled my blogitory obligations, and since I am also feeling exhausted to the bone, as well as less than humorous, I bid you adieu.

So Adieu.

So there.

Sunday Night Edit: We changed our minds about the bedroom colours yet again. How bout we just share pictures when it's done, OK?

Today's Headlines

Today Griffin and I travelled into the Big Stink, to beat-up babysit Phelan:Turns out Griffin's a bit of a brute (raise your hand if you're surprised....Anyone?...thought not!)

He spent the day swiping all the toys out from Phelan's lap. And pulling on his face. FUN! Phelan has a skill that Griffin doesn't though - he can travel to his intended destination and climb on stuff. And sit on stuff. Like Griffin:

It was a fun filled day, and went rather well, but it made me come home and reiterate to Steve that we don't want any more kids just yet! I'm not ready! I want to wait until Griffin can speak in, and comprehend, full sentences. So that he can say stuff like "Mommy, I'm uncomfortable with the fact that you're paying more attention to that other kid," instead of wailing at the top of his lungs. So that he understands (and acts with diligence) when I say stuff like "Go get Mommy the bottle of Tylenol!"

I have a new found appreciation for the parents of twins. Egads...and there are people who have things like TRIPLETS. OR MORE! I bow at they're feet in reverence - I don't know how they do it. I also bow at the feet of those that have kids one after the other after the other! That takes some serious energy and commitment (in so many ways), and i just don't have either of those things in me right now! And to the people that say, "Once you have one, any more doesn't make a huge difference." LIARS!!! Two kids is TWICE as much work. It's simple math! Twice the diapers, twice the food, twice the weight. Math, people, math. Goshdarn, I'm exhausted!! I love my baby and my husband more than anything in the world. And I very much look forward to adding another member to our little family. But not yet!

In other Roof excitement, I have embarked on a mission to sew the next set of cloth diapers in our lives. Griffin is modeling prototype #1:

It's hard to see the diaper for all the cute baby in the way, but I'm pretty proud of it.

And speaking of modeling...just in case you don't get the Bay flyer, and just in case you don't know how to click on a link (hey...it's possible!) And just in case you haven't gotten how proud and excited I am that my little boy is such a superstar, here's Griffin's first shot at becoming Canada's Next Top Model:

He's the cute one in the sunhat. And the VERY BIG SHOES (they were about 2 sizes too big, but they were right colour, which is all that really matters!)

So that's all for now. It's been a busy few days here on the roof. And we've had enough. So we're leaving...off to Ottawa and Gananoque for a few shows, for a few days - duty calls (Steve.) I'm rather looking forward to it! Fear not, we'll likely be posting from the road. Or before we leave...this high speed internet just makes it SOOO easy!!

Sleeping Babies

So feel like I may just be cursing myself by writing this little post, but I wanted to share the exciting news of the week - Griffin (almost) slept through the night last night! He came closer than he's come before, and I think it's fair to say he had his best sleep EVER last night! As a direct result, our sleep experience of last night wasn't to shabby either. Dare I say that things may be improving? Dare I hope that last night wasn't just a freakish freak of nature?

HELL YEAH I DARE!!

Please, if there is a God let this be a sign of good things to come. (I'll even climb the Tower of Power to get closer to you if that's what you need.)

Pleasepleasepleaseplease. (Does it sound like I'm begging? I'm not begging. I'm just...Hopeful. Thankful. Grateful! Still tired. More please.)

And speaking of sleeping babies, a warm welcome to Master Dylan Stoski! Welcome to the outside, little dude. We hope you're (all) having a good rest after your excursion!!

Happy 200!

Did you know that this is the 200th post on this blog...I didn't either until Dashboard told me! It would have been #202, but there was those other posts that got deleted....how about I don't even go there!

So we took Griffin to the Witch Doctor today (aka the Naturopath) and I even convinced Steve to tag along, only by telling him that it was VERY IMPORTANT that he be there as support for me, and his son. And that the Naturopath was hot. Whatever works.

Anywho, we've had it up to here (this is me reaching towards the ceiling) with Griffin's sleeping habits. Which is hardly a fair name for them, Not Sleeping Habits would be more accurate. The child smiles and giggles and charms everyone he meets during the day, and then goes to bed and screams like we've laid him onto a bed of hot coals, with pins sticking into him. Eventually he falls back asleep, only to repeat the entire episode 2 hours later. And 2 hours after that. And 2 hours after that. Until dawn. Seriously. And maybe it doesn't bother him all that much, because he wakes in the morning, seemingly ignorant to the fact that he just endured what he made out to be the WORST NIGHT OF HIS LIFE, but it sure as hell bothers us adults in the house! I've stopped carrying a diaper bag because I can pack everything into the bags UNDER MY EYES!

Dr. Hottie McVoodo gave us some potions and lotions, and we're off on a homeopathic adventure in an attempt to STOP THE INSANITY and get some sleep around here. Will keep you posted!

Tired

Today Griffin is 7 months old. But I'm so tired all I can do is drink gin and soda, and even that feels like work. Composing something witty yet meaningful is so beyond my grasp at the moment that I'll have to leave it to another day.

And I'm not the only tired one around here:

By the way, for all of you rushing over here to do the dishes (!!!!) like I requested last night...no worries, I did them!